Hate Rekindled
by Cybroid
Summary: It's been a few months since Akiak had threatened the lives of Chaska and his friends, and now everything is peaceful. But soon, that will all change. Their lives will be turned upside down as everything is changed. Will everything be back to normal, and if not, how will they deal these changes?
1. A Few Months Later

**And here is the sequel to 'Brothers To The End'. As stated in the summary, this is a collab with my new friend, Drac0tam3r Rod. We will be doing chapter by chapter, sometimes doing half and half of a chapter. It is based in the beginning of the film of Wolf Quest, but will only stay in the time range of when the pups were pups, not adults. Read on and enjoy, and also please review :)**

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The snow crunched noisily as paws stomped down above it. A furry dark brown canine was running through the daunting silent forest. He was not alone however. Not far behind him several other sets of paws chased him down. He was being hunted. The pursuit was drawing to a close as the hunters moved closer to their prey. The young wolf had no other choice but to attempt to out smart them. He dove into a nearby snowdrift I attempts to throw them off his trail. I the freezing snow he perked his ears up to listen as his pursuers went further and further from his location.

After a few moments, they were gone. Thinking he was safe, the young wolf had emerged from his hiding spot. A voice from behind, however, rid him of the delusion that he was safe. "There's nowhere to run now. You're mine." the voice said with a fiendish grin. His crimson red eyes burning with anticipation. The grey wolf was at the mercy of the menacing black-streaked grey wolf. With no other choice he decided to try to escape but the latter anticipated such a choice and pounced on him. The young brown wolf had no escape. He pinned to the ground and at the mercy of his captor. Ceremoniously the streaked wolf howled triumphantly into the air, signalling his pack to advance on his position.

"Geez Agro. Do you have to be so rough when we play 'Catch The Caribou'?" asked the grey wolf.

"Hey Chas, 'Catch The Caribou' is more than a game. It's a way of life." Agro replied.

"Here they are!" shouted one of the wolves chasing Chaska. However this wolf was was different. She was a small grey half-wolf puppy named Aleu and was accompanied by her siblings and two others. Rei, a white furred wolf and brother to Agro, and Kara, a husky with a black coat and white muzzle.

"I thought you said you were good at this game Chaska." Kara said as the puppies all excitedly tackled Chaska who was still lying in the snow.

"I am. It's just that Agro's cheating." he rebutted.

"How am I cheating?" Agro said defensively, his fur spiking up with agitation.

"Well you're, umm..." Chaska trailed off searching for an excuse.

"Exactly. Now let's get back to town. Balto said the pups need to be back before sunset." Agro said earning a collective 'awww' from the puppies.

"Fine. But you're cheating somehow. I know it" Chaska said in defeat as they made their way back home just as the sun began to set.

* * *

The group made it to a beached trawler, though did not arrive on time. The dark sky above them proved that. A dark grey half-wolf stood at the top of the ramp to the top of the deck.

"I thought I said I wanted them back before sunset" the half-wolf stated with a hint of' disappointment.

"Sorry, but we kind of lost our way in the forest" Chaska apologetically replied.

"I marked a trail. Is it that hard to find?"

"About that...we may have strayed a bit off the trail."

"You what?!" Chaska flinched at the half-wolf's aggressive voice. "I made that trail so you would stay out of danger! How could you just stray a bit from it?"

"Blame Agro for that." The half-breed's gaze shifted onto the black-streaked wolf, who argued against it in an instant.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Agro stated. "Seriously, Balto. Would I ever put your kids in danger?"

"Did you get hungry on the way?" Balto simply asked. Agro paused before answering.

"Yes. But I was starving and-"

"I don't want to hear it. Just count yourself lucky that no one was hurt. Come on, kids! Time to go to bed." All the pups reluctantly followed their father onto the boat with their heads drooping down in sadness.

"But dad, we're not tired" said one of them before yawning.

"That yawn tells me otherwise. Now hurry up, or you'll be tired tomorrow, and tomorrow is a big day, so get a good, long sleep." Balto followed the pups into the cabin to make sure they went to sleep then returned to the others. "Thanks for looking after them today. I had some errands to do, and Jenna is on that little trip to the east. I don't know how I could do this without you guys."

"It's fine. By the way, how long is it until she returns?" Chaska asked.  
"At least another three days. Though I wish it was less. I miss her."

"I know you do."

"Well, we better get going" Agro said, slowly backing down the ramp. "Me and Kara have some business to attend to."

"Seriously?"

"What? I'm a love hound."

"You're my love hound" Kara murmured softly, giving him a quick kiss. Chaska rolled his eyes, which Agro scowled at.

"Please get some privacy."

"Shouldn't you be getting to Kel?" Kara asked.

"No. I'm staying here for the night, as is Rei. Just go already, before the kids wake up.

"Okay, fine. Come on, Kara. Let's go."

"Right behind you." They descended down the ramp. Chaska went to where he was to sleep and laid down on his side, drifting off into sleep.

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**And that's the intro. It's a little short, but we're only just getting started. See you all in the next chapter :)**


	2. It's Only A Race

**Here's the next chapter, done by** **Drac0tam3r Rod. We both hope you enjoy :)**

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The sun rose on a new day in Nome, Alaska. Various birds and other peaceful wildlife had just begun to stir in the nearby forest. The songs of birds and babbling of a nearby river could be heard were you in the area. The village, however, was anything but peaceful at this time. People and dogs alike all crowd the streets in an uproar. This was quite normal for the village, however, because on this peaceful morning the public was indulging in their favorite past time, Sled Racing. Off in the distance the people could see two fast approaching Sled teams. Both were neck and neck for, what looked to be a photo finish. As they got closer it became clearer who the lead dogs on both teams were, as well as their mushers.

Sled Team no.33 was led by musher Liam Day, a tall, well-built musher who had recently immigrated from Ireland a year ago. His lead dog was a pitch-black, pure-husky. This dog a first glance could be seen as quite intimidating with his single burning yellow eye and his other being covered to shield a wound from long ago. This dog was known as Cronus, and those that feared him had been right to do so.

The second was Sled Team no.88. Led by musher Thomas Jane, an average man of average height and build. He's been a citizen of Nome his entire life and was living out his dream of being a musher. His lead dog was also a husky but not as imposing. Brutus was slate-grey in color and gentle, leaf green eyes. Despite his fierce name, most of the inhabitants of Nome see him as a gentle and loyal canine.

As both teams closed in on the Town Square the crowd that had gathered on the sides of the streets became frenzied. Everyone cheering on the team they wanted to win as they edged closer and closer to the appointed finish. The dogs began push with all they had, both sides desperate to bring home a trophy. In a flash the race was over. Both teams kicking up snow as they skidded to a stop. The crowd held their breathe as they awaited the results of the race. The judge entered the fray to announce a winner. As he inspect the scene he came to the conclusion that team no.33 was the victor.

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause as the musher dismounted his sled to claim his trophy. "Better luck next time Tom." said Liam in a show of sportsmanship. "Well, you can't win 'em all." said Thomas modestly as they shook hands. However, the dogs took the win differently.

"Just can't beat the best Brutus. Haven't you learned that yet?" taunted Cronus, as he gloated in the wake of his victory. "Haven't you decided to get your head out of your a** yet? I'm sure you need to get some air." Brutus's entire team broke out into laughter at his quip as Cronus scowled at him.

"Whatever loser. I hope you enjoyed the view of second place. I hear the scenery never changes unless you're the lead dog. Then again, I wouldn't know anything about that." Cronus said smugly. However Brutus let the comment slide and came back with his own, " You hoped I enjoyed the view? Woah there, I mean, I didn't know you swung that way. I got a mate. A 'female' mate. Sounds like you're barkin up the wrong tree." he said as he twisted the meaning of Cronus's comment. "You know exactly what I mean! Besides, how many races have you lost this month anyway? 4? 5? I guess I'll have to count my trophies again just to remember." Cronus said as he gloated about his past victories. "It's only a race. It doesn't matter if you win or lose." Brutus countered, trying to shrug off the mention of his team's losing streak. "Sounds like a loser to me. Speaking of losers, I heard that you're daughter's dating that mutt Agro. How could you let that happen?" Cronus remarked. "She likes him and I think he's not that bad. Definitely better than your son." said Brutus as he spurred Cronus. "Oh you can't be serious. It's just as bad as that Balto freak. He came in thinking that just because he saved Nome, he had a place with us 'real' dogs. And people actually wanted him. Now look at the town. Half-breeds running around everywhere." Cronus said as hate touched his words, infecting each syllable with malice. "I prefer 'half-breeds' to that pompous mess you raised. I know his game and I've heard the rumors. From what I gather he only after 'one thing' when it comes to my daughter and I don't want him anywhere near her. And Balto deserves a chance. If it wasn't for him your little Jack wouldn't have made it."

"At least my pup's not foolin around with a filthy wolf. I'm surprised she doesn't have a litter of half-breed mongrels on the way by now." grumbled Cronus. Brutus began to growl furiously at Cronus's comment. "She's probably off with that disgusting beast right now doing who knows what." he continued, adding fuel to the fire that was welling up inside Brutus. "Shut your muzzle, Cronus. You don't have the right to speak about my daughter that way after what everyone heard about your son and that one incident at the boiler room." He rebutted with spite in his voice. "How's your father doing? Resting well I'd hope." retorted Cronus with more spite, as he made a quip about Brutus's deceased parent. "I don't know. Why don't you ask your mate?" Brutus said with just as much spite, as he too made a quip about Cronus's deceased wife.

In a fit of anger Cronus lunged at Brutus, tackling him to the ground. "Don't. You. EVER! Speak of her that way!" The crowd began to notice the furious barking of the dogs and their respective musher rushed in to stop the ensuing altercation. "Heel Cronus, heel!" shouted Liam as he grabbed Cronus's collar and pulled him away from Brutus. "It was just a race boy. It was just a race!" said Thomas in an attempt to calm his lead dog and pet, ignorant of the true cause of the fight. "I'm so sorry Liam. He's not really like this. I'll be sending him home now." apologized Thomas as he sent Brutus on his way.

Brutus was stomping his way home, muttering to himself about how he should have torn Cronus limb from limb. As he began to get closer to his home he saw a familiar white-streaked figure leave his home. Curious he intercepted the canine.

* * *

**Earlier just after the race**

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Two differently colored canines cuddled up with one another in a dark room. As the sun shown through a nearby window the first figure, a wolf with black streaks along his back began to stir. "Ugh. D*** sun. I was having such a nice dream to." complained Agro as his sleep was disturbed by the bright orange rays of the sun. "What was it about?" asked Kara, the second figure, as she nuzzled Agro's neck fur. "Well there was this beautiful female, but I can't quite remember her name." teased Agro as Kara gave him a knowing look. "Let me guess. It was me wasn't it?" she asked rhetorically. "How did you know?" Agro said as he feigned shock, Kara rolling her eyes at him. "Anyway, you should probably get going. My dad should be finishing his race soon and I doubt he'll be happy to see you here with me." she warned. The previous night Kara had invited Agro to stay the night without her father's knowledge or consent. "Awww. That eager to get rid of me?" Agro joked as he kissed Kara on the cheek. "We'll see each other later anyway." she said as she kissed back, "Now go. Before we both get in trouble."

Agro rose from the bed and made his way out the house. His escape would have been perfect, if he wasn't stopped by a very angry slate grey husky. "Agro, what were you doing in my house?" Brutus asked as he seethed with anger. "Oh...um..hi Brutus." Agro responded nervously, "Ummm...I can explain."


	3. Losing His Temper

**Here's the next chapter, by me this time. Hope you enjoy :)**

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"Ummm...I can explain" Agro started, but Brutus raised a paw to stop him.

"It's alright, I'll let this one slide" Brutus said. "However, if it happens again, I might have to have a chat with you, and I don't think you will like it. Now get going. I'm sure you have some other things to attend to."

"Oh yes, I completely understand. I'll just be heading off now..so, bye." Agro quickly ran for it. He made sure to get some distance between them, though did not know that Brutus had already gone inside. Once he was sure he was far enough, he went back to his normal self. "What to do now?" Agro asked himself. "Could I go to get a bite to eat? Nah, not hungry right now. Maybe I can go take a walk through the forest? No, that's normally an afternoon thing. Oh, I know. I can go see if Rei's awake! He's probably missing me right now."

* * *

"You know what? I'm kind of glad Agro isn't here" Rei confessed as he was laying on the deck of the boat with Chaska across from him.

"And why is that? I thought you always wanted to be with him?" Chaska asked.

"That's just it. I mostly stay with him because he makes me feel safe. But now I don't feel like sticking with him all the time. He's always so protective over me, always watching closely over me. I'm so glad to have some time to myself right now."

"I never knew you felt like that about him. I always thought you liked being around him."

"Not always. Sometimes it's a bit annoying with him always standing over me, restricting what I do."

"Is that really how you feel about me?" Chaska and Rei's heads whirled around to the ramp to see Agro standing there. Rei immediately felt regret, and was about to say something, though Agro continued on."After all I've done, you never appreciated it."

"Agro, I didn't-"

"Just don't bother. I completely understand" Agro growled with an angered tone.

"I didn't mean any of it, I swear!"

"Oh, sure" Agro countered, his voice rising slightly. Like I'd believe you, but it's fine." If you don't want me around, that's all you have to say." He started down the ramp, with Rei moving towards him.

"Agro, wait-"

"No!" he snapped, stunning both Chaska and Rei. They both knew he could be aggressive, but never did they think that he would act like that towards his adopted brother. Agro advanced towards Rei as he continued. "I have stayed with you when you were most vulnerable, and you just decide to treat me like trash! You just toss me aside, and don't even acknowledge what I've done for you! Is this how I am to be repaid for saving your a** all those times?!" he yelled as he continued to advance. Rei slowly backed away towards Chaska, who was still frozen with shock. "And what have you done for me? You..have..done...nothing!" He swung a paw across Rei's face. Chaska took action immediately, knocking Agro back.

"Agro! Calm down!"

"Why should I? You're just as bad as him?! You discarded those who cared for you in your pack to save your own skin!"

"I wasn't given a choice."

"Sure. Just like when you decided to give yourself up, and where did that get you? If it wasn't for me, both you and Kel would be dead! Everyone just uses me, and once my usefulness is gone, they just ignore! Make me feel as if I don't exist! Why don't you just leave? You have no reason to be here anymore! Your problem has been dealt with, so you can return home."

"Don't turn this on me. You need to control yourself, or someone is going to get hurt."

"Well, it's too late for that. You might want to remember this face, for it's the last time you'll ever see it" he said, leaving as he did. As he left, Balto, who had been asleep, came out to see him storming off towards the forest.

"I heard someone yelling. What happened?" he asked.

"Agro just lost his temper. He should be fine later." Chaska heard a quiet crying coming from Rei. It wasn't until he felt something trickle across his paw that he saw why. Three small marks cut across his cheek, most likely when Agro had hit him, extending his claws at the same time. "Though this time, he went a bit too far." I nudged Rei forward, and he began moving into the inside of the trawler.

"I'll talk to him. Just watch the kids for me while I'm gone."

"Don't worry, I'll watch them."

"Thank you. You're a good brother, Chaska."

"The same to you. Now get going before he gets himself or someone else hurt." Balto was soon gone, following Agro's tracks. All Chaska could do now for them was hope. He heard a quiet sound of little feet, and knew what was to come next.

"Uncle Chaska!" He had no time to react as Balto's pups tackled him down.

"Easy, kids! You don't want to break me!"

"We won't break you, silly" one of them said.

"There's no fooling you, Aleu. You are very smart, much like your father."

"I thought I was the smart one" one of them argued.

"You're all smart, in your own way." I spotted someone approaching the boat, and devised a plan. "Alright, kids. Gather around. I have an idea that you are going to love." I lowered my head to their level, whispering my plan. Some of them giggled, while the others simply agreed. Once I was done, they got into position. A few moments later, an old goose walked up the ramp, not noticing the pups on either side of him.

"Chaska! Did not expect to see you here. Thought you would have left."

"Not yet, Boris. I'm still babysitting for Balto."

"And where might he be?" Boris asked.

"Just went to have a little chat with Agro."

"I see. By the way, where are kids?"

"Okay, you guys. Time to show yourself." Boris heard shuffling behind him and turned around, only to scream in terror as the pups piled onto him.

"Get him!" Aleu yelled as she leaped onto her uncle.

"You are getting off now, yes?" Boris grunted from beneath from them.

"Not until we feel like it."

"Okay kids. Hop off old uncle Boris" Chaska said, only to get a bunch of 'awwws' in response. "Do you want me to use force?"

"You wouldn't hurt us."

"Who said anything about hurting you?" he replied with a sly smirk. Before they could reply, Chaska pounced on them, using his paws to tickle their bellies. They laughed and giggled, begging for him to stop in the midst of their laughter.

"S-s-s-stop!"

"I'm not stopping until I feel like it." After half a minute of tickling, he soon gave up and stepped away from them. "Okay, now get going so the adults can talk."

"Yes, Uncle Chaska" they all said at the same time. Once they had left to play on the beach, Boris began the conversation.

"So what Agro do this time?" he asked.

"Lost his temper at something Rei said. I never expected him to be like that towards his own brother before. It really set him off."

"What Rei say?" Chaska thought about it for a moment, and decided to lie instead of telling the truth.

"That doesn't matter right now. You can ask him yourself when he decides to come out. He's very shaken up by it."

"He is young, so it what I expect from the little guy. He's been through much throughout his life, especially before he met Agro."

"Just out of curiosity, how did they meet?" Boris wore a smile at the memory.

"It's a bit of funny story. I will tell. Sit down, and listen." Chaska sat down across from the Russian goose, who also sat down and prepared to share the story.

"Uncle Boris is telling a story!" one of the pups yelled. They were up next to me in an instant, waiting patiently for Boris to begin.

"And you shall hear it. Gather around, everyone. For you must pay close attention to story."

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**There you go, everyone. Another chapter, and next time, you get to hear of Agro and Rei's background story. Hope you enjoyed :)**


	4. An Unlikely Meeting

**Here is the next chapter, everyone. Hope you enjoy :)**

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4 Years Earlier

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Not long ago, in the small village of Nome, there was a small snow white dog. However, this dog was different from the rest. He was half wolf, and because of this he was picked on. In Nome, people did not value or respect wolves. Instead they feared them and cursed their very existence.

This small white wolf-dog was alone. He had no friends, nor family to care for him. Every day was a struggle for him. Whether it was having food so he wouldn't starve or finding shelter and salvation from harsh storms or bullies.

One day, this changed for him. On that day he found a kindred spirit.

* * *

"Get that mutt!" yelled a harsh voice. "Yeah! Teach that half-breed he doesn't deserve to be here!" shouted another.

In the streets of Nome ran four canines. Three larger dogs chasing a small dog with tattered white fur. "Please! I didn't do anything!" the white dog pleaded, but his pleas fell on deaf, merciless ears. The chase ran through alleys, side streets, and even a few businesses until it came to a close in a dead end. The white dog was cornered. There was no escape. As he turned to face his tormentors, he could only see soulless, malevolent grins.

"So. What should we do to him Zeke?" spoke a cream colored Akita.

"I don't know Max. What do you think we should do with him David?" spoke a white Malamute with a black spot over his right eye.

David, a German Shepard, with a ferocious hatred of all things wolf related looked into the the fearful hazel eyes of the puppy that stood before him. His caramel brown eyes looking hollow and void of any light. After a tortuously long silence, David spoke, "Let him go."

The mouths of the two other dogs in the alley hung open. "What do you mean let him go! I just ran 3 blocks chasing this mongrel down and you say 'let him go'!" spoke Zeke in outrage. "Yeah. I mean, he is just a pup after all." David spoke compassionately. The white dogs heart leapt with hope and joy. Perhaps he can sleep soundly tonight. Maybe he even found a friend. But the next words that came from the same German Shepard that gave him a spark of hope, would dash that flame. "What am I saying?" David said as he chuckled grimly, "This wolf-dog mutt deserves everything coming to him."

With that said the pack began to assault the young hybrid. Clawing, biting, and batting at him until they became exhausted. Now bruised and scratched, the wolf-dog lay curled into a ball, his tail tucked between his legs and ear folded flat against his skull. His fur, even more tattered, now looked a grungy dark grey color. The pup's assailants now looking on at him as he lay defeated in the gutter. "Let's go. We can kick his a** some more tomorrow. That is, unless he gets smart and leaves. Wolf-dogs should know better. No one wants them here." said David coldly as his pack left the alley.

Night approached and with it, a harsh blizzard. As the snow and wind blanketed the small village a single soul wandered the streets. This wanderer was another canine. His fur coat was grey as the clouds in the sky with two streaks of black marking his back and meeting at his tail. His eye a burning crimson, illuminating the dark road,with three scratches over his left eye. He walked unhindered, as though the storm hadn't existed. As he continued walking the empty streets his ear twitched to the right. A sound coming from a nearby alley. Was it...crying? Curiously he peered inside and saw the source of the sound. A small puppy with tattered white fur. As he moved closer he heard the puppy mumbling, "...maybe everyone's right. I don't deserve to be here. Maybe I should just die in this blizzard." Outraged, the black canine spoke out in an angry but caring voice, "Hey! Don't ever let me hear you say that again!" Startled, the puppy jumped and looked up to see a a strange, dark dog staring at him with blood-red, crimson eyes. "P-p-please!" pleaded the puppy, "Don't hurt me! Please! Just...leave me alone." The half-breed pup then curled up in a fit of tears. Sobbing in hopes that the stranger would leave him be.

For 2 hours the dog sat a looked on in pity at the puppy as it bawled its eyes out. Soon he heard a soft snore. He was asleep. 'I should do something. He'll freeze out in this weather.' thought the canine. He then moved closer to the sad puppy and curled around him in hopes that he would keep him warm.

The next morning the small white puppy awoke to find the strange grey dog looking at him. Looking back at the dog the puppy warily stood. As he moved his paw touched something. He quickly looked down to find a steak at his paws. "You should eat up. I didn't steal this from the butcher for nothing you know." said the strange dog. The puppy looked at the steak, eyeing it cautiously to make sure it wasn't a trick. Then, he took a bite and the another and more after that until the steak was nothing but an imprint on the snow. "What were you doin' in this alley? Shouldn't you be with your human or your parents?" said the generous grey dog. The puppy lowered his head, ears flattened on his skull, "I don't have any parents or a human or a family." he said with sorrow in his heart. "Oh...I lost my family too." said the stranger with a heavy heart. Do you have any friends?". The white puppy shook his head with grief. "Well, how 'bout I be your family? We could be like brothers." said the dog, tail wagging with joy. "Why should I listen to you?" questioned the puppy, "this could be a trick. For all I know, you just want to hurt me like the rest because I'm half wolf. How do I know you aren't lying?" A moment of silence crossed the two before the dog in question spoke up, "Because I'm a full wolf. I guess I just look more like a dog than a wolf to these guys." he said with a smile across his muzzle. The small pup looked on in awe. Again the stranger spoke, "My name's Agro. What's yours?" he asked holding out his paw. Placing his paw on the wolf before him, the puppy introduced himself, "I'm Rei." "Well Rei," Agro began, "I guess we're brothers now."

* * *

"...and that is how Rei and Agro met." Boris said as he finished the story. As a silence overcame the trawler Chaska heard the creak of a floor board. He turned and saw Rei standing behind him with a crestfallen expression. "I heard Boris telling the story." he said as he spoke with little to no emotion. The scratch still visible on his cheek. Chaska looked on wracked with pity. "Is that what really happened?" he asked in disbelief. Rei nodded solemnly, "I was alone ever since I was a puppy. I never even knew who my parents were...I wonder what they'd think of me now. Saying such things about my brother. He was right...I am ungrateful. I'm a terrible brother." Chaska stepped forward and looked Rei in the eye, disappointment clouding his golden eyes. Chaska lifted Rei's chin so that their gazes met, "Don't ever let me hear you say that again." quoted Chaska, "Agro just wants to make sure you're safe. He's just being protective but if you want your space he has to respect that. He just took it the wrong way is all. I'm sure he'll realise it sooner or later. Until then, stop putting yourself down. You're better than that." Rei looked off, his head swirling to process all that had just happened. Then he began to walk forward, exiting the interior of the trawler and stepping onto the deck. He edged toward the railing, staring off into the darkness of the forest. He saw how the night was illuminated by the light of the full moon. Chaska looked on in worry for his friend. The young wolf dog then lifted his head and let a haunting howl into the air. Soon after he finished his howl was answered with another, familiar soundly, howl. A smile spread across his muzzle, knowing exactly what that howl meant.

* * *

In The Forest,

* * *

The night air was still. In the middle of a secluded clearing stood a wolf. Crimson eyes filled with rage and regret, heart heavy with the burden of sorrow and loss. Agro began to think back to what he'd heard and what he'd done. "I shouldn't have hit him. He probably hates me now." he said as he recounted the last moments he'd spent with his adopted brother Rei, "What kind of brother am I?" "A caring one." spoke a familiar voice behind him. Agro turned to see Balto stand at the edge of the clearing moving toward him. "Caring? I just hit my brother! I'm supposed to be protecting him not beating him!" Agro was upset, not with Rei but with himself. He'd appointed himself one task: protecting his little brother. And he'd failed. He let down himself and Rei. "But you are protecting him. Since you've met Rei all you did was protect him. You kept David from hurting him, you've given him a family. I mean, you're the definition of 'good brother'." Balto said in an attempt to lift his friend's spirits. "Yeah I did all that, but I lost it. All he was asking for was space and I yelled at him for it. Ugh..why did I have to realise it now instead of then?"

Balto moved toward Agro and placed a paw on his shoulder, "There is one way you could make it up to him you know." he said cryptically. "Yeah? How?" asked Agro, wanting any way to put this all in the past. "Well, you have do two things: one, go back to him, and the second, say you're sorry." the wolf dog answered. "Like he'd accept my apology." Just then a howl cut through the quiet of the night. "I'd say he's more than willing." said Balto with a confident smile on his face.

The howl was understood by both canines. It was a cry of sorrow and of apology. Rei was reaching out to his brother. Looking at Balto, Agro raised his head toward the moonlit sky to respond to the howl with one of his own. His sounding of remorse, acceptance, and apology as well. Looking over to the wolf dog before him Agro stood, "Let's go. My brother needs me." he said as he strode in the direction of the beached trawler.

* * *

Back At The Trawler,

* * *

Six small wolf dog puppies were wrestling in the center of the main cabin. Boris was tackled to the ground by three of them and was unwilling thrown into their match. Looking at the scene were Chaska and Rei. Rei turned to Chaska and asked. "Do you think he heard me?" In response the the question a door opened and two more canines entered the room. "DAAAD!" shouted the puppies cheerfully as they rushed their father. Beside him stood Agro, looking across the room at his adopted brother. Their gazes met as they approached one another. Without warning the eldest brother took the younger in a warm, loving embrace, "I heard you."


	5. The Talk

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy :)**

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The sun was nearing its zenith as it perched in the sky. The citizens of Nome, both canine and human, were busy on this day. All of the sled teams were on assignment, either in Nome or elsewhere. All the sled teams except Team no.33. Thomas Jane had his lead dog and pet, Brutus, home because of the display he'd shown the day before. From Thomas's understanding, Brutus wasn't exactly a good sport about losing the race and attacked Cronus. For said reason, Brutus was restricted from leaving the confines of their two-story home without Thomas being with him.

The inside of Brutus's house was warm because the weather outside was frigid that morning. In the middle of the previous night a small snow storm blew in and drastically lowered the, already below freezing, temperature.

In front of a fire sat Brutus, deep in thought, as he watched the flames dance in front of him. He played through his head the events that occurred after the race the day before. Cronus, the one-eyed, pitch black husky of Team no.88, was verbally, and physically, sparring with Brutus over losing the race. During the bout Cronus mentioned how close his daughter, Kara, was getting with Agro. At the time he shook it off as an insult and retaliated with his own, but now that he had time to think about it, this worried him. 'Maybe it's time we had 'The Talk'.' he pondered as he saw his mate Pan walk out the door. 'Great. This isn't going to be so easy now.' he thought sarcastically, with the absence of his wife 'The Talk' was going to all the more difficult to get through.

Brutus made his way upstairs to his children's room. Since the house had only so much space, Brutus and Pan usually slept in their human's bedroom and their three pups slept in a room designated to them. Sometimes one or more of them would sleep in their human's child's bedroom for more comfort. As Brutus walked through the door he saw all three of his offspring doing a myriad of activities. May, his youngest, was chewing on a rawhide bone, Kel, the eldest, was looking through one of their human's child's picture books about Alaska's wilderness, and Kara, the middle pup was curled up napping in her favorite blanket.

He took a deep breathe as he entered, immediately gaining the attention of the two conscious canines in the room. "Hi Dad." chirped May happily as she continued to chew her bone. "Dad have you read this book yet?

It's really interesting." Kel said as she flipped through the pages of the book. "Hey girls. Ummm...do you mind if Kara and I had some privacy? I have to talk to her about something." Brutus asked politely to shoo them from the room. "Something like what?" Kel pressed inquisitively. Brutus answered her question with a look of embarrassment and knowing. Kel instantly realized what he was going to talk to Kara about and quickly grabbed May and rushed out the room.

Now alone with his second oldest daughter, Brutus approached her and tapped a paw on her nose to gently wake her up. "Hey Dad," Kara said as she yawned, "How's things?" "Good, good. Umm...Kara there's something I need to talk to you about." he said as looked around the room nervously. Kara could see her father's face flush with blush through his gray fur. Suspiciously she pressed him for answers, "Something like what? And why are you blushing?" Her father panicked, "I'm not blushing!" he denied, "But..um." "How do I say this?" he whispered to himself. "Well Kara...you're getting older and...your body may be going through some...changes..and you should be aware of this." he said with his voice overflowing with nervousness, making the conversation all the more tense and awkward for him. Kara noticed her father's demeanor and began to piece together what he was alluding to.

"Dad.." she said in an attempt to stop him, "And I've noticed that you and Agro are pretty close..." he continued. "Dad!" she shouted, practically begging him to stop as he kept talking, "So I think you need to know..." "DAD! Don't say it!" she begged as her face began to visibly blush beneath the white fur on her face. "You should know about mhfn." he finished as Kara covered his mouth with her paw before he could utter the most embarrassing word a young dog could ever hear. "Dad! Don't. Just...don't." she said, "I already know what your about to say and I want to know one thing." Kara uncovered her fathers mouth, "What do you want to know?" he asked. Kara looked her father in the eyes and shouted, "Why the heck are you talking about that!" Brutus was slightly taken aback by her response despite hearing almost the exact same thing from Kel a few years earlier.

"Because you're a young female and I think you should know about this. Especially since you're dating now." Brutus reasoned. "Dad. Save your breath. I already know what you're gonna say because Mom and Kel already talked to me about it. So just...stop embarrassing both of us." Kara said, stopping the conversation. Brutus looked on mouth agape and cheeks burning red, "Oh...umm...well since you already know I guess I don't need to go further huh?" Kara scratched the back of her neck, "God no!" Brutus looked away and began laughing, "Ha ha, good. I thought I was going to explode. Well the I guess that since you already know that you also know that I don't even want to THINK that you're 'foolin around' before you've taken a mate that, I, approve of." Kara began waving her paws frantically, "THAT'S the FURTHEST thing from my mind!" she said to break the thought from her father's mind. "Good." he said approvingly. "Sooo...can I go now?" Kara asked nervously. "Yes." Brutus said as she races out of the room, a smile crossing his muzzle. He breathed a sigh of relief, "At least that's over." he said as he too exited the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the boat, someone else was about to have the same discussion. Balto waited for Agro to awaken, which was taking longer than he would have liked. He soon ran out of patience and went in.

"Get up!" he barked. Agro groaned back and rolled over, turning his back on Balto. "I said get up!"

"Five more minutes" Agro mumbled. "I've waited long enough. Now get up." Agro remained motionless, then Balto got an idea. "Get up, or I'll sic my kids on you" he calmly said with a smirk. Agro didn't hesitate in getting up, bumping his head on the boat's dashboard above his head. "Owww. Why'd you have to do that?" he groaned, rubbing his head. "Because you didn't wake up."

"Why do I have to wake up?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Balto went out onto the deck and sat waiting for Agro to come out. He took his time, barely lifting his paws from the deck. "This better be good."

"It will be" said another wolf. From behind Balto, Boris stepped to his side. Agro felt confused, though knew it was probably important. "Okay, what did I do?" he asked. "Nothing. At least, not yet. But this is about something else. Sit down." Agro sat down in front of them with his ears perked up, ready to listen. "Okay. Well, here it goes. I never thought I'd actually be giving this talk to someone almost my age."

"Get it over and done with already! My butt is already numb from the cold" he complained. Balto's stare was enough to keep him quiet. Once he was sure he would keep quiet, he slowly walked towards him and sat down right in front of him. "Now Agro, you must listen carefully, though if you feel at all uncomfortable, all you have to do is say so."

"Hmph. Like I'd get uncomfortable." Balto let out a quick, low growl, grabbing Agro's attention once more. "Right. Shutting up now."

"Thank you. Now this is how it's going to work. We're going to ask you some questions, but you don't have to answer them if you don't want to. Understand?"

"I don't want to answer that."

"Agro!" Balto growled with a high voice. "What? You said I don't have to answer a question if I didn't want to." Balto planted a paws to his face, shaking his head and groaning in frustration. "This is going to be harder that I thought" Balto sighed. "Alright. First question. Have you been feeling any sudden...urges when around Kara?"

"Not really. I feel a bit tingly, but that's really it."

"Okay. Next question. Do you feel any certain changes with your body?" Agro cocked his head to one side, showing Balto he didn't have a full understanding of what he meant. "I guess not. Okay, last question. Do you ever feel that you and Kara could..how could I put this...make your relationship more." Agro's eyes widened in surprise from the question, and he seemed to freeze.

"Agro?" He continued to sit frozen, staring ahead. "Agro? Are you still with us?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?!" he exclaimed. "That is my business alone!"

"Hey, we're sorry. It's just that, with you not having any parents, someone had to."

"Wait a minute. Were you trying to give me 'the talk?" Agro gave Balto an expressionless face, then soon burst into laughter. "You're so funny!"

"Um..what's funny about it?" Agro couldn't answer as he continued to laugh, but soon got a hold of himself. "My parents gave me that talk ages ago" he explained. "Oh" Balto said, feeling a little stupid. Boris felt the same, slapping himself in the face with his wing. Their reactions only made Agro laugh more.


	6. Attack In The Dark

**Hello again, everyone! Here's the next chapter for all you readers. Enjoy :)**

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The night had come quickly. Everyone in the town were staying inside due to the large storm raging outside. In one of the buildings, a certain group of dogs were huddled a furnace in a circle to keep warm. To pass the time, they shared stories that they considered to be hilarious.

"...And so I said 'Hey! Why don't you just turn tail and run?" a dark brown husky intrigued. "What happened next, Jace?" one of the others asked.

"Well, he then starts swinging at me! And I'm just dodging them with simple side steps,that is until I got bored." "What did you do then?" another asked. "I raised my paw above his head, then-" the group's heads turned to the door which had suddenly swung open. A huge gust of cold wind rushed through the entrance, bringing a pile of snow with it. Some of them covered their faces while others turned their heads completely to cover their faces from the cold wind. Standing in the door way, a pitch black husky stood. He came into the light, revealing his dark face with one yellow eye and an eye patch over his right eye with a scar crossing under it. Two of the dogs rushed to close the door behind him and then took their positions back in the circle. "Hey, Cronus!" the husky Jace greeted, rolling a bone to him. Cronus picked it up in his mouth, though tossed it aside.

"Thank you, but no thank you. I lost my appetite back in the storm. Besides, I have come to ask something of all of you." The other dogs straightened up in the presence of their sled team leader. "What is it you need, boss?" Jace asked. "Just tell us what you need." "To be specific, I don't need something. Rather someone" he explained with a grin. "Are you willing to do something for me, Jace?" "Anything, boss."

"Good. Now begins the downfall of the wolf, and the rise of the hounds."

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Later that night, a lone man, covered in warm clothing, trudged through the snow-covered streets towards his home. However, he stopped just outside of the alley next to the butcher. His attention was drawn to the sound of something going through a trash can. As he got closer, he saw what looked like a canine. To his eyes, it looked like one of the wolves that wandered around. Even though he did not know it's name, he bent down and called it to him.

"Hey there. What you doing back here?" he whispered in a friendly tone. However, when the canine turned with a fierce look in it's eyes, he felt a sudden strike of fear in his heart. It bared it's teeth towards him with a low, guttural growl like a hungry predator. "What's wrong, boy?" The wolf began to approach him, it's green eyes glinting in the moonlight. He could see it's ragged, dark brown fur with bits of dirt hanging off of it's coat. "Easy boy. I'm not going to hurt you." The wolf ignored him with anger in his eyes. Without warning, it leaped towards him. It was the last he saw that night.

* * *

As Chaska and Agro went through the town early in the morning, their way was blocked by a large crowd of people.

"What's going on here?" Chaska wondered. "No idea. Why don't we go check it out?" Agro suggested. "Sure. I mean, it might be another race to watch." Chaska and Agro pushed their way through the crowd's legs. Most of the people moved out of their way. Once they reached the front, they saw the reason for all the commotion. Several humans were carrying another on a stretcher between them. From the look of it, he had been attacked by something, being covered with scratches and bite marks. Chaska and Agro took a position next to Kara and her family who had also come out. Brutus was the first to notice them.

"Look who it is. How have things been lately?" he asked them. "Fine sir" Chaska answered politely to leave a good impression. "So have I" Agro added. "It was a pretty bad storm last night, wasn't it?" "Yes, it was. That's also when this happened" Brutus explained, motioning his head towards the injured man. "What did happen, anyway?" Agro asked. "The humans are saying that something attacked him. They suspect it to be some kind of canine. But what's the most confusing clue to what happened is what he continues to murmur."

"And what is that?" Chaska asked. "He keeps on saying a jumble of words, one of them being..." he paused, unsure of their reaction. "One of the words being 'wolf'." They both were surprised to hear this, as they were the only ones closest to resembling a wolf, besides Chaska's old pack. "A wolf? Are you sure?" "Yes. I'm sorry, but it's true" Brutus concluded with a grave expression. "And this is going to be bad for you guys."

"We're going to have to find out who before things get worse. I'll go visit the pack later. If anyone has come to the town unwelcome, they'll know. I'll be back by the afternoon." Chaska started to leave before Agro stopped him. "Wait! Why don't you stay for a bit longer with them? Didn't Koza have some pups not too long ago? I'm pretty sure you didn't stay long enough to know their names." Agro was right. The last time he visited them was to see Koza's children being born, though left before they could be named. That was at least a month ago now. "Okay. But when I find out, I'll get Koza to send someone back to tell you the news. I'll be back in a few days. Try not to ruin everything while I'm gone."

"Stop worrying about me and get going. This mystery isn't going to solve itself." Chaska shared his final goodbyes before heading towards the forest just outside the town.

* * *

It took Chaska about an hour to finally reach the forest. By then, the sun was high in the sky. The trees cast long shadows across the forest floor. His paws sunk into the snow. Even though he was in friendly territory, he remained cautious. He paused, hearing something to his left. He looked to his left to find nothing, and after watching carefully for a short moment to make sure, he continued on, only to stop again at the snap of a twig. His ears perked up, and moved into his fighting position, ready for anything. He heard a growl behind him, though couldn't turn around in time as he was pounced upon by a rather small, furry figure. He closed his eyes, afraid of what he would see.

"What's wrong? You scared, Chas?" He opened his eyes, as he recognized the voice. When he saw his old friends face, he couldn't help but smile. "Why did you have to do that?" he asked.

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**And that's it, guys. Hope you all enjoyed :)**


	7. Investigation

**Hello, fellow readers. Here's the next chapter :)**

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Chaska stared up at the small wolf that stood over him. The wolf had a fur coat of light grey and hazel eyes. The wolf looked down at him, sneering down at him.

"It's been a while, Chas" the wolf said. "Get off me, Nikan!" Chaska yelled jokingly. "Seriously, is that how you're going to greet me?" "I have to have some fun around here, don't I?" Nikan jested in response. "So why have you come by on such a lovely morning like this?"

"It's on an important matter. I need to go to Koza. Take me to him" Chaska demanded. Nikan seemed to be a bit surprised by his sudden request. "Woah! What's with the hurry?" Nikan queried. "It's important business. Look, Nik. I need to see him now." "Fine, fine. You just go ahead. I'm not finished with my patrol yet, so I'll see you later then." Nikan ran off past Chaska, leaving him to continue along the path. He slowly went down the path, soon reaching the pack. he was greeted by two wolves who escorted him to Koza who was waiting for him in his cave.

"Chaska! It's been too long!" Koza embraced his old friend for a small moment and then broke it, curious of why he was here. "So how are things back in the town?" he asked. "Everything's fine, except that something recently happened. Something bad." Koza understood, as did his mate, Dakota. She stood up and led her two pups out of the cave. "What is it?" Koza asked. "Something happened in town. A wolf recently attacked, and injured a human."

"A wolf? I don't understand why you're talking to me about this? You know none of them would ever do that...unless you think on of the outcasts got through." Chaska nodded, confirming his suspicions, but also became a little offended. "Well, you will be glad to know that nothing like that has happened. Sorry. Now, if that's all, I guess you can go back and forget about us-"

"I never forgot about you. In fact, I have also come to visit you. It's been a while since I came here, so I'm going to stay here for a few days." Koza's aggressiveness went away and he went back to normal. "Oh. Well, you're welcome to stay if you want. I'll clear one of the chambers of my cave-"

"I already know where I'm going. I'll feel more comfortable with someone who is family." Koza knew who he meant. "Of course. You know where to find her, right?" he asked. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Well, I know where to find you. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Got it. Besides, I have some business to attend to." Chaska began to leave when he remembered something. "Oh, and one more thing. I need you to send someone to the town and tell the others." Koza gave a nod and walked by Chaska, and Chaska went to find his step-mother. As he went through the pack's territory, he remembered how different it was to the old days. Back then, they lived far from here, where there wasn't much snow. The pack was also larger, but after Akiak, some wolves were still sided with him. With Koza being the new leader, he banished them. Chaska then remembered all the good times he had with Koza and Dakota and Nikan. It felt a bit odd to find Dakota and Koza together now, though he had been gone for a while. When he returned a month ago, he was even more surprised to find them with two pups, a girl and a boy, though he had to leave before learning their names.

On the way, he saw some familiar faces, such as Takoda, a wolf who had all kinds of remedies for illnesses and diseases, and Desna's widowed mate. Everyone had a smile on their face, and everyone greeted him. He stopped in front of the cave he was heading for. He knew it was it from memory and the scent that greeted me from the inside.

"Hello? Anyone home?" he called inside. There was a moment of silence before he heard something move around inside. "I know that voice!" From the inside, an aged, white female wolf came out of the cave. "Chaska!" She rushed over and embraced him, licking his face to show her motherly affection. "It's been so long!" she cried with tears of happiness. "It's only been a month, mother."

"Just call me Nina, please" she said. "I'm fine with calling you mother. Besides, you're the one who raised me, aren't you?" Nina couldn't help but smile. "That's my boy. If only Tikaani could see you now."

"I'm sure he is right now, watching over both of us, alongside my birth parents. And I'm sure they are proud." They stayed in silence as they continued their hug for a few more seconds before reluctantly breaking it. "I'm sorry it's been so long, but so much has been happening and-"

"Shh. It's fine. Come on inside, and then we can talk all you want." Chaska followed behind his mother deeper into the cave. Not much had changed since his last visit here. Nina's chamber was still to the back of the cave. The chamber he was to stay in was right next to it, and it was still the right size for him. Once he got himself used to his surroundings, he went to find Nina. He found her laying on her bed, which was made of dry grass. At first, she seemed happy, but he could see her pain.

"Hello again, Chaska. So tell me, how is life in the town?" she asked Chaska. "It's been okay. How has the pack been since the last time we met?" Nina shrugged back. "Nothing much has happened. Have you seen Koza's kids yet?"

"I saw them when I arrived, but only a glimpse. Maybe we can go see them later." Nina nodded, keeping her smile, though it seemed a little fake. "Nina, is something wrong?" She looked at him and quickly shook her head. "No, no. Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine" she stated quickly. But Chaska wasn't fooled so easily. "Mother. Don't lie to me. I can tell that something is wrong." Nina let out a long sigh at looked at Chaska with a new, weary expression.

"I'm still sick, Chaska. And I feel as if my time might be close." Chaska felt a wave of sadness wash over him as the news began to sink in. "You're still sick? Why hasn't Takoda done something about it?" Nina did not answer, and he figured why. "You never told anyone, did you? Why didn't you? This is bad for you! You need someone to help you!" he said, slightly angered and upset. "I'm old, anyway! What would be the reason of getting help if I'm going to die anyway?! It's my life, and not yours, so stay out of it!" she yelled back. Chaska backed down with his ears folded down and his tail between his hind legs with a fearful look. "I-I'm sorry, Chaska. I didn't mean to-" Chaska held up a paw, stopping her from continuing. "It's fine. It's just...fine. I can see that I'm not wanted right now. I'll be visiting some old friends. I'll see you at dinner." He slowly walked away with his head drooping down. Nina felt the urge to beckon him back, but he was already gone. Her ears fell to the side of her head. She felt tears form in her eyes. "I'm sorry" she whispered to herself. She curled up and fell asleep for the day.


	8. Overly Attached

As Chaska left Nome Agro began to watch the crowd dissipate leaving only a few people, most likely medics to tend to the injured man, and scattered groupings of both dogs and humans. "I have to go. Thomas will want me back home." said Brutus as he left,"Take care of yourself and DON'T get into any trouble. You'll have enough to worry about soon." Agro nodded at his advice and soon set off to busy himself as well.

As Agro moved down Main Street he began to feel eyes on him. He subtly look around and noticed several dogs casting gazes his way. Some filled with disdain, others filled with fear. However, the one that worried him the most was one filled with undying devotion. Agro began to panic inwardly as a small husky came bounding up to him. Before he had time to react he was already on the ground with gleaming turquoise eyes burning with passion staring into his crimson red eyes.

"Ha! I knew I'd find you eventually!" said Katie as she pinned Agro to the ground. For a husky her size she was surprisingly strong when she put her mind to it. "Katie! Get off! I have somewhere to go!" Agro yelled angrily. "Like where?" Katie asked. "Oh I don't know. To my GIRLFRIEND maybe!" the wolf yelled as he put emphasis on the word 'girlfriend'. The cream colored husky got off of Agro so he could stand. She then began to cry. Agro looked on not caring until he began to hear whispers about him. He could hear several voices calling him 'monster' and 'heartless'. "Umm...Are you okay? I mean, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings." he said trying to sound empathetic. Katie's tears instantly disappeared as she wrapped Agro into a tight embrace around his neck. "Oh Aggie! You do care!" she giggled. Agro now struggling to breathe choked out questioningly, "Ack..A-aggie?" Katie noticed this and immediately let go. Agro began to rub his throat to get feeling back in his neck. Katie began to look away bashfully. "Yeah Aggie. That's what I'm gonna call you. Unless you don't like it! What about..umm..Ro! Or Agrie. Because you get angry a lot and you look sooo cute when you do!" she said as she began dishing out pet names for Agro. Agro began to blush under his pitch-black coat as he heard several laughs coming from around him. "Agro's just fine. Anyway I have to go."

As Agro began to walk off his hopes of seeing Kara were dashed as he felt a strong tug against his tail causing him to yelp. He turned to look as he saw Katie pulling him in the opposite direction. "Not yet. There's someone you HAVE to see." she said as she forced him to follow her. Katie and Agro stopped at a set of doors leading to the inside of an abandoned warehouse. To the dogs of Nome this warehouse is a popular hang-out spot.

Agro looked at the doors and turned to Katie, "Okay" he sighed. "Who's so important that you had to drag me to the warehouse to meet?" A wide smile crossed Katie's muzzle as she spoke, "Oh you will just love her! Come on Let's go in!" The white-streaked wolf reluctantly opened the doors and walked inside the establishment.

Contrary to the frigid Alaskan air outside, the inside of the warehouse was spacious and warm. Easily fitting about 30 canines, the building was near filled with dogs. Scattered conversations laced the air. Dogs talking about everything from the latest race to what their humans are up to.

Agro and Katie began to make their way through the crowd of dogs. As they walked Agro picked up on conversations about the mauling that took place the night before. Some talking about how a wolf may have done it and others making speculations on how the few wolves of Nome was in on it.

"Here she is. Jade! I want you to meet someone!" Katie called out as they reached their destination. Agro looked in the direction Katie yelled and spotted a well-groomed Border Collie making her way to them. Her ocean blue eyes piercing his crimson reds. When she reached them he got a better look at her. Her fur was mostly brown except the front portion which was white. Subtly taking in her scent, Agro could smell lilacs on her fur. She was obviously well taken care of.

"Hey Kate. Who's your friend here?" she asked in a slightly seductive voice. Agro felt his heart skip a beat when he heard her speak. "This is Agro, my wolf in shining fur. Agro, this is my best friend Jade." introduced Katie. "Umm...Nice to meet you." he said nevously. Jade looked at Agro. Carefully inspecting him from head to tail. She took note of his characteristics, his black streaks, his scar, even the smell of his fur. "Right. Kate, mind if I borrow you for a sec?" she asked as she lead Katie away from Agro. "That was rude." Katie stated as she pouted. "Really? A wolf? You could do better than that." Jade said, " What about Shadow? His dad's a sled dog. I mean, the guy smells like a forest after a storm." Agro picked up on this with his enhanced hearing and began to make his exit.

"I don't have time for this." he said as he left the warehouse. "Well I like him." Katie said in her defense, "He's handsome and there's a bit of danger to him. Plus you remember he was the one that rescued me when I got lost in the forest 2 years ago." Jade began to think back to that day. Katie had been telling her about some heroic dog that saved her. "That was him? I was expecting someone taller and better groomed." Katie huffed at her best friend's comment, "Well that's him and I'm sticking with him." Jade looked past her to see a certain wolf missing from his spot. "Well it looks like he's not sticking with you." the Collie said as Katie whirled around to see her 'date' missing.


	9. Accused

**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy :)**

* * *

At the pack, Chaska had finally made it back to Koza's cave after going to visit Nikan, only to not find him there. He did not find Koza there, but as he exited the cave, he did find Dakota heading to the cave. Behind her, two small pups followed her, hiding behind her.

"Hey Chas" she greeted in a friendly manner. "Sorry, but you just missed him. He went to lead the hunt. Do you want me to tell him you were looking for him?" Chaska mumbled something to himself, facing away from Dakota as he did. "What was that?" she questioned. Chaska looked back at her with a nervous smile. "What? Nothing. I said nothing." Dakota raised her eyebrow in a doubtful look. "Oh, sure. So, how is everything with the humans?"

"I'm not actually staying with the humans. I'm staying at the edge of town with my brother." She shared a smile and nudged Chaska playfully. "I'm only teasing. Seriously, sometimes you need to lighten up, just like old times."

"I try to, but sometimes it can be a bit hard, especially with recent events." Her ears perked up as she cocked her head to the side with a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"There has been an attack in the town, but not against us. It was on a human, but the bad thing about it is that it could change the view on us, and they may turn on us. I can't let it happen." Dakota gave a sympathetic expression before feeling something nudge her back leg, followed by a quiet voice. "Quiet, Nova. Mother is talking." Chaska leaned to the side to see her two kids. "So this must be your daughter. The name suits her" he remarked, indicating towards her sparkling, blue eyes. Nova also had light brown fur and a long muzzle, like her mother, however she had a white tip on the end of her ears, which was unlike either of her parents. "Yes, and this is Sarin" she said, moving to the side to show her son, but he remained right behind her. He continued to hide until she got an idea. She grabbed onto his scruff and dropped him in front of them. Chaska examined him closely. His coat was a light grey, making his hazel eyes stand out. His appearance reminded Chaska a lot of Koza's young self. "He looks so much like his father, doesn't he?" Dakota said. "Yes, he does." For some reason, he felt a bit of sadness, probably because of how fast things have gone by. Dakota noticed his sudden change, as did he, quickly going back to normal. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no. Nothing's wrong." She gave him another look, making him rethink his answer. "Well, it's just that it only seems like yesterday, we were all running around as kids, playing as friends. But now, so much has changed. I..I just miss my father. Why did this all have to happen? What did Akiak have against me? Why did Tikaani have to die? It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left"

"Don't say that. He died to protect you" Dakota said with a comforting tone. "If you had stayed, Akiak would have killed you, without hesitation, and then he would have killed your parents, just like he killed-" she quickly stopped herself, raising Chaska's curiosity. "What?" Dakota sighed, having said too much. "After dinner, meet me at your mother's cave. We'll explain then. Come on, kids." She led them away, leaving Chaska in a state of confusion. _"What did she mean?"_ he pondered with himself. Her words went back and forth through his mind, confusing him even more. He shook it off to clear his mind, and began to head back to Nikan's cave. Though on the way, he saw something catching his attention. A wolf he had never seen before, standing atop a high ledge nearby, looking down at him. Just as it appeared, it disappeared in a thick cloud of smoke, the same color as it's fur. A cloud of white shrouded the white wolf, and then, it was gone. For some odd reason, it reminded him of something from the past. He once again shook it off and continued on to visit his friend.

* * *

Kara was lazily looking out her window. Her father and mother were out running errands and her sisters were playing with Cody, their human's son. In short, she was bored. As she gazed outside she saw a familiar grey canine looking up at her. A smile creased her muzzle as she rushed downstairs and out the doggy door to meet him. "Agro!" she said as she wrapped him in an affectionate embrace. "Well, I guess that's a 'yes' to missing me." Agro said as he licked her cheek. "Oh you have no idea how BORED I was before you got here." she said. "I guess we should do something about that." Agro suggested, "How about we go out?" Kara let go of Agro and stood by his side, "Lead the way." she said as they made their way down the road, unaware of a group shadowing them.

Agro and Kara began to wander the village, pointing out sights and talking about what they liked about them. "...and so I was like, 'You really don't have to give me 'The Talk'." Kara said, talking about the previous day. "Wait. Your dad tried to give you 'The Talk'? Balto did the same thing to me." Agro chimmed in. The two burst out in a fit of laughter, gaining some glances from passersby. The couple immediately took note of this and began to quiet down.

Just as they were silent Kara began to notice how everyone around them were casting strange looks their way. The streets nearly silent, save for some hushed voices, as they moved through Nome. Kara turned to Agro, who had a hard look on his face. She could tell he was trying his best to ignore what was being said of them. Cluelessly Kata asked, "Agro? What's going on? Why's everyone looking at us like that?" Agro snapped his attention to Kara. With a nervous smile he said, "Oh. Umm...what do you mean?" The wolf's date cast him a look of disbelief. "You know what I mean. Seriously, what's happening?" Agro knew that he couldn't hide anything from her for long, "Well, what happened was-"

"Hey Wolfie!" interrupted a voice from behind. Agro turned to face an all too familiar black husky. Behind Agro stood four dogs. The one in the center of the group was their leader. "Shadow." the wolf snarled, "Can't you go bug someone else? I'm sorta busy." Agro's fur stood on end as he crouched in a low defensive stance. Shadow looked on at this display and laughed, "I'm sorry. Did I interrupt your date?" he taunted, "Yeah. Did he interrupt your date?" said Kit as he joined in. "Shut up Kit." commanded Shadow.

The pack of dogs moved in closer as their leader was almost muzzle to muzzle with Agro. Shadow looked over to Kara, "Really Kara? You're still with this mutt after what he and his wolf buddies did last night?" Kara looked at Agro in confusion, "What's he talking about?" she asked. "His buddies mauled Otis!" the purebred said with hate dripping from his words, "He didn't do anything to anyone. Agro here, thought it'd be a good idea to have a midnight snack. So he rounded up those other wolves he hangs out with and tried to kill him."

Kara looked at Agro with disgust in her eyes. She didn't know what to think. "Is...is this true Agro?" she asked with uncertainty. "What? No! Of course not! That a** is just making things up." Agro said in his defense, "No one knows who did it." Shadow let out a gutteral growl as he stared down Agro. "Liar! We know you did it and we're here to make you pay for it!"

Agro looked at his situation. His girlfriend not wanting to believe what was said and an aggressive dog gunning for his head. He couldn't convince Kara what actually happened because Shadow would fill her head with more lies. He couldn't fight Shadow because that would make him fit the part of Otis's attacker. With a heavy sigh Agro made his choice. He turned and began to run. Answering both questions and making him look the guilty party.

"See Kara! Would a wolf that's innocent run like that?" Shadow questioned triumphantly. "No...Agro..." Kara said to herself as she saw her boyfriend run. A single tear dropped from her eye.


	10. The Truth Comes Out

**Here is the next chapter. Enjoy and please review. We'd love to know what you guys think of this story :)**

* * *

For the entire day, Chaska had just been visiting old friends and exploring the pack's home. He later joined up with Koza and his family as they went on their way to the center of the pack for a feast, which he did not know was dedicated to him. He sat at the top of the circle the pack made around the pile of food, which was filled with meat and some berries for those who did not favor the meat.

"Greetings, everyone" Koza said to his pack. "I am glad to see that the whole of the pack had been able to attend this feast. And as you all know, except one, we have dedicated this to our past member, Chaska" he announced, gesturing a paw to him. Chaska was very surprised, and felt his cheeks flushing red. "Thank you, but there was no need-" Chaska began. "Nonsense! You are respected among the pack, and shall be treated with respect. Now, I believe we have put this off long enough, for we are all starving. So let's eat!" The pack dug in, taking an equal share of food before going back to where they sat before. Chaska took some berries along with a small sliver of meat, just to fill him up. Koza, who sat next to him, gave him a surprised look.

"Been a long time since I saw you with meat."

"Just feeling a bit hungry" he murmured. The tone of his voice told Koza that something was wrong. "Chaska." Chaska gave his attention to Koza. "Is something troubling you?" Chaska looked away, avoiding the question completely, but Koza wasn't so quick on giving up. "Chaska, talk to me" he pleaded. "That won't work on me, Koza, and it's my business alone." Chaska quickly gulped one more berry before leaving. Dakota looked past Koza, then at his food and got a confused look.

"Why is he leaving? He hasn't even finished his food." Koza shrugged back at her and went back to tearing at the meat on his bone. Dakota wanted to talk to him, but Chaska was already gone. She looked over to where Nina was, only to see that she had disappeared as well. "Koza, I'm going to go and find Nina. I'll meet you back at the cave."

"Don't take too long." She shot a glare in his direction, which he responded to with a defensive look. "What did I say?" Dakota turned away from him, leaving him puzzled.

After a few minutes of searching, she heard some coughing coming from Nina's cave. When she entered, she found a worrying sight. Nina was violently coughing, but that's not what worried her. It was the blood around the edges of her mouth, and the blood on the ground. "Nina!" She rushed to her aid. Nina wiped the blood, acting as if nothing happened. "Dakota? What are you doing here?" she asked in a hoarse voice. Dakota could tell it hurt to talk by the pain on her face. "I came here like you said before, but right now, you need to see Takoda" Dakota urged. She began pulling on Nina, but she pulled away. "I'm fine" she snapped. "Chaska needs to know, and I'm not going to let some cough stop that. Go find him, and bring him here." Dakota gave a nod and ran as fast as she could.

* * *

Chaska continued his little stroll, taking in the fresh air. It felt so much more different to the air in the town. It felt refreshing, the wind softly whispering and the leaves cruised along the air currents. He felt at peace, as if there was nothing bad going on in his life. But he could never convince himself that for he knew matter what, there would always be some kind of roadblock blocking his path, whether it was an enemy, or an illness. These were all the same to him. All he could do was overcome these roadblocks, one at a time. And the one he had to deal with was his mother's sickness.

"Chas! There you are!" He turned around to see Dakota running to him and sat down next to him. "You..are one..hard guy to find" she panted. He gave a half-hearted laugh. "I always was. Why were you looking for me anyway?" he asked. "Don't you remember what I said?" He shook his head, earning a smack across the face. "You are so unbelievable. I told you to meet me at your mother's cave! And where do I find you?"

"I don't know" Chaska answered. He regretted it as soon as it came out as her paw came for another hit. "Oww! You really are mean." Dakota raised her paw again with a menacing look. "Okay! Sorry! Sorry. I'll go now." He slowly crept by her, watching her as he did, then bolted away once he was past her. "Slow down, Chas!" she called after him.

Chaska made it to the cave, thinking that Dakota was far behind. But he was very wrong. When he got inside, he found his mother with Dakota by her side. He gave a surprised look, and was about to ask how she did, but she anticipated the question and answered it for him. "When you're the mate of the pack leader, and the only thing you can do when bored is explore, you learn a few shortcuts." Chaska nodded in understanding and went over to them. "Hello, Nina."

"Chaska" she replied. "I wanted you here because it is time to tell you the truth." Chaska felt himself become more and more confused. "Sit down, and listen closely. I would also rather you did not interrupt me. Either of you. You will only speak when asked a question, and Dakota will help me explain when necessary. Am I understood?" They both gave a nod. "Good. Chaska, do you remember anything of your parents?"

"No."

"I thought so. You are probably wondering why you never heard of them. The reason why is because they were killed when you were young. But there is more. The one who killed them...was Akiak." Chaska's eyes opened wide in fear of the name. "It all began several years ago. You were only just a pup, and your mother was a close friend of mine."

* * *

**Several Years Ago...**

* * *

In the forest, just outside a human town, a pack of wolves lived. They were numerous, and had happy lives, though they had to live with caution. For man was always on the hunt for them, always searching to use them as clothing or decorations. The humans saw this as sport, but the wolves saw this as genocide. They had done nothing against the humans, and yet they were slaughtered for their enjoyment. And not only were the humans against them, but also their distant cousins who were used as a form of transport for the humans and to hunt the wolves. All wolves were forbidden to ever make contact with them. But one wolf had gone against this law. She had been keeping a secret for a while now. For the third time this month, she snuck away from the pack. Not far, a husky was waiting for her.

"You're a bit late today" he said. She replied with a 'hmph'. "It's not my fault. Patrols have become harder to get by. And anyway, now we're even."

"I guess you're right with that, Aniu."

"Yes, I am. Now, we can't spend too much time. Remember how close we were last time to getting caught?" The husky rolled his eyes back at her. "Yes, I do. And you never let me forget it."

"Because of how dangerous every one of these meetings are. You know we will have to tell them soon. It's almost time" Aniu said, looking to the slightly bloated belly. The husky nuzzled his muzzle against hers. "What if the others find out? They could be put in terrible danger."

"And we will protect them. We're in this together." The two spent some more time together before the wolf saw that the day was coming to a close. "It's time for me to leave. I'll try to come back next week."

"As will I." They shared one last embrace, and said their goodbyes with a kiss. "Until then." The wolf turned away and ran back towards her pack.

Another month passed, and they continued seeing each other. Soon, the wolf gave birth to two pups. One was a light grey, and the other a light brown. The husky named the light brown pup Chaska, and the wolf named the other Balto. A few more weeks passed, and it was only a matter of time before they were discovered. One of the wolf's friends followed her and saw she had pups. At first she was surprised, but after much convincing, she swore to keep their secret. The husky did the same with a friendly goose who had been his closest friend for a while now. But one day, it all changed. The wolf made her way to the occasional meeting spot, where the goose looked after the pups. However, when they reached it, the goose was standing between the pups and another wolf. This wolf was a male, and was very deadly.

"Akiak" the wolf whispered in fear. The wolf heard her and turned his attention to her. He greeted her with a large grin. "Of course. Only you would keep such abominations." From behind the attacker, the husky sprang upon him. From what Aniu could see, he was mortally wounded. "RUN!" he yelled as he fought off the attacker. Aniu was at first frozen with fear, but managed to summon enough strength to move. She ran to her kids and lead them away. But Akiak soon caught up. She hid her kids and ran, drawing his attention to her. That was the last they saw of her.

* * *

**The Present**

* * *

"I found both you and your brother, starved and tired. I later found the goose, who agreed to care for your brother. Me and Tikaani always wanted a child, and took you in. We managed to hide your identity from Akiak, because he was always on the lookout for both of you. Now you know why Akiak hated us so much. He knew it for some time, though never dared to talk about it openly." Chaska's heart felt heavy with sorrow, but also anger. Anger towards Akiak, but also towards his mother.

"You kept this from me! For all this time, you never bothered to tell me!" he snapped in her face. "Chaska, please-"

"No! Don't even try!" he continued to yell at her. Nina felt her heart begin to ache from all the pressure of his anger. Dakota stepped in between them, acting defensively towards Nina.

"Stop this, Chaska! Don't you see your mother is in pain?"

"I don't care!" he snapped once more, though as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt awful. Full of regret and rage, he ran off, leaving his mother in pain.

* * *

**That's the end of another chapter. The story of what happened to Chaska and Balto's parents was short because I only know about his mother, and not muc hon his father, or how they died, so that's my version. Hope you enjoyed and see you all next time :)**


	11. The Hunt Begins

Rage, loathing, sorrow. These were the emotions Agro felt as he ran through Nome. 'I should've said something. No, I'd just lose it again and in front of Kara. There's no way she'd forgive me if I did something wrong.' he thought as he entered the forest.

The day turned to dusk as the troubled wolf ran. He had no destination. All he knew was that he had to run or he'd do something he'd regret. In a fit of self-hatred Agro threw himself into a tree, cracking the base of it and immediately stopping in his tracks. He closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. His breathing became calm and he began to think more clearly, "D*** that hurt!" he screamed as he realized he'd run into a tree. Agro looked at the sky and saw that the sun was setting and clouds became overcasting. He sighed, "I should go back. Tell Kara what happened when that j*** Shadow isn't around. Maybe she'll believe me." he thought out loud.

He began to make his way toward town and at the last second noticed that he'd just walked to the trawler. Without many other options he moved to the main deck, "Or, I could ask Rei for some help. He's much better at this sorta thing." he said to himself as he entered the cabin.

Now inside Agro was extra cautious not to wake any of the sleeping pups scattered about. Across the room he saw his brother sleeping on his back under the dashboard. He moved forward stepping over the puppies as he went until he reached his target.

"Rei, wake up." he whispered as he prodded the white half-breed. "Mmhn...go away." Rei muttered in his sleep. Losing patience Agro grabbed him by the scruff of his fur and lifted him, now walking outside.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the woods, Chaska continued to wander away, feeling anger towards his mother. For he had learnt the truth of what happened to his parents. He was angry at her mother, because she had not told her anything of it, and kept it secret for almost his entire life.

"How could she?" he murmured to himself. "She has made my entire life a lie." He suddenly had a change of heart, his anger shifting. "Now wait, it wasn't her fault. It was Akiak's! He's the one who killed them! I should be blaming him! They were only trying to keep me safe" he concluded. "I wish he was still alive...so I can kill him again!" he growled in anger. His rage slowly began to take over. His claws unsheathed and his teeth revealed themselves from under his now curved-back lips. His eyes seemed to glow with rage. His back arched up, making his appearance seem larger.

"They will pay! They will all pay!" His voice seemed to go darker. However, when he heard himself, he returned to his normal self. He lifted a paw to his face, looking at it in fear. "This isn't me. What am I saying?" he pondered to himself. His thoughts were broken when he heard someone familiar nearby. He followed the voice, not knowing that it belonged to someone he had not seen for a long time.

* * *

Rei awoke to find himself oddly cold. He faintly remembered being in the warmth of the trawler. Looking around, he found himself surround by white and upside down. Shocked by this, he quickly lifted his head and gasped for air. The white wolf quickly began looking around only to see a familiar set of red eyes staring at him with a look of desperation underneath. "Agro! What's the deal?" he said angrily, "I was having the best dream." Taking a second to calm down Rei noticed his brother was sad and realized this wasn't one if his usual pranks, "What's wrong? Is everything okay?" he asked. Agro took a deep breath and explained what had just happened to him, "...and I just ran. *sigh* I came to you because you're better at talking through these sorts of things and...I don't know what to do. Will you help me?" he pleaded.

With a confidant smile Rei placed a paw on his brother's shoulder, "Of course. I mean, what are brothers for?" he said. Agro's disposition lifted and he instantly wrapped his half wolf sibling in a tight embrace and lifted him, "Oh thank you thank you thank you!" he yelled to show his gratitude. He let Rei go, dropping him to the ground. As soon he recovered Rei was met with a warm lick to the side of his face. Stunned and confused he look at his brother.

Now realizing what he did Agro spoke in a serious voice, "You will tell NO ONE that I did that. Deal?" Rei wipe the slobber from his face with a smile and said, "Deal."

* * *

Chaska had been running around, looking for the source of the feminine voice he had heard, but with no luck. He looked up to see the moon was at its peak in the sky, signalling midnight. There was no evidence that anyone was around, though the quiet whispers of his name continued to call him. It soon got to him as the voice began coming from all around.

"No. Stop" he pleaded, but it only intensified. He fell to the ground, covering his ears. "Please, stop." It continued to get higher, and sounded as if they were piercing his skull. "I said stop!" he finally yelled. The voices stopped immediately. Though after a few seconds, one voice began again. This one was clearer than the others, and had a soothing tone.

_"Chaska"_ it whispered. He stood, thinking he only was hearing things. "_Chaska_" it said again, beckoning to him. He was off in a second, dodging low branches and leaping over roots hidden under the snow. The snow flicked up behind, leaving a trail. The voice seemed to get closer until it sounded like it was right in front of him. He listened closely, and then noticed it was coming from above. Looking up, he saw a small fog. But that's not what caught his attention. It was the little light that flickered inside. He stared at it for a while until it suddenly moved with lightning speed, giving him a jump.

"Hey! Wait!" he called after it, hoping it would slow down. But it didn't. It stopped a few times for him to catch up a bit before moving again, as if it was teleporting from one point to the other. "I said wait!" It seemed like it obeyed, for it stopped. But he didn't have time to. He went sliding through the snow, slamming into the tree in his path. He picked himself up, almost toppling from his dizziness, though all it took was a shake of his head to clear the dizziness. He looked up again to see the fog covering a part of the tree. "What are you?" Instead of answering, it slowly began to disappear, revealing what was behind. Chaska stared in horror at what was on the tree.

"Oh no" he said, then ran away quickly from the poster with a bounty for wolves. He was headed for the pack, unaware that is was too late and the hunters had already found them.

* * *

An eerie quiet swept over Nome as if the entire town was abandoned. The only thing breaking the ambiance were a few lights inside the windows of some homes and the sound if snow crunching beneath two sets of paws. Agro and Rei had just entered town and was making their way toward Kara's home.

"Are you sure this is going to work Rei?" asked Agro, skeptical of his brother's seemingly too easy plan. "Of course it'll work. All you have to do is get her alone and tell her what really happened. It's fool proof." said Rei reassuringly.

Silence once again overcame them as they made their trek toward the husky's residence. However, the silence would not last forever. As they walked they heard a soft whimper followed by a harsh growl. The two wolves stopped in their tracks, "Did you hear that?" asked the younger of the two before he was quickly hushed. Again they heard the sound but this time followed by a sickening crack sound.

The sound was coming from their right. The darkness of a nearby alley. "Wait here." commanded the eldest as he began to peer inside the curtain of shadows. The sight he saw nearly made him gag. Inside the alley lay two figures. One being a bloodied and injured Alaskan Malamute with tan brown fur and hollow amber eyes. The other figure being an all too familiar pitch black husky standing over the former with a muzzle covered in red.

Agro moved in closer to get a better look at the scene but upon moving a twig broke beneath his paw, slicing through the still quiet of the frigid air. His heart stopped as he saw that the black husky halted what he was doing. He slowly turned his head in the wolf's direction revealing bared fangs and a single golden eye. Agro was petrified with terror as Cronus, the most feared dog in Nome since Steele, looked at him with a sadistic grin etched across his muzzle.

In less than a split second Agro grabbed his younger brother by the scuff if his fur and bolted from the scene. Back in the alley Cronus reflected on the events of the past few seconds and chuckled grimly, "Perfect." he said darkly. Leaving his unconscious victim in the alley and moving on to whatever other dark deed he was planning.

* * *

**Will Chaska get back in time? Will Agro and Rei get away from Cronus? These questions may be answered in the next chapter, so stay tuned. See you all in the next chapter, and please review :)**


	12. The Hunter's Arrival

**Here you guys go. Another chapter. Hope you enjoy :)**

Dawn peaked over the horizon in the frozen tundra of Alaska. With it came the promise of a new day in the village of Nome. However, all was not calm on this day. The citizens were abuzz with activity. Some were rushing with important errands and others were speaking of various topics, "...and I swear it got the stain right out." said one woman, "...can't wait to see the next race." spoke a man. In the center of town however, a more heated conversation was being had, "Are you out of your mind Tobias! What the h*** do you think you're doing?!" yelled Mayor Sutherland at the guest in his office. Tobias Greene, a tall and widely built man with graying, black hair, is a citizen of Nome and a sled musher. "What I'm doin' is saving this town!" he rebutted, his southern drawl showing in his voice, "A wolf been attackin' folks and I'm just givin' 'em incentive to help out instead of jus' sittin' around an' doin' nothin'!"

The Mayor was frustrated. Having to deal with most of Nome's problems with little to no help was bad enough. He didn't need some Texan sled musher getting people riled up and shooting up his town. Mayor Sutherland wiped a hand down his face exasperatedly, "*sigh* I don't know how things are done in Texas, but the way things are handled in Nome is that we go to someone with actual authority and have them do something." he began, "These bounty posters are only hurting us more than helping." Tobias chuckled at the Mayor. "Help? You want to talk about helpin' someone?" he began as he moved closer to the Mayor's desk. "Okay. Who helped my dog when he was d*** near killed last night? Huh? Or, or who's gonna help me pay for his broken leg? Huh, Mister Mayor?"

Now fuming with anger Tobias began to drive his point further, "I saw the teeth marks. The doc told me that some 'canine' attacked him an' my money's on one of these d*** wolves." he said, shoving a finger close to the Mayor's face. In a calm voice Mayor Sutherland said, "Tobias. We have over a hundred dogs living here and only ten wolves living in this town, and six of them are puppies! From what I've seen they haven't presented a threat to anyone thus far. One even risked his own life for the children of this town." the Mayor reasoned, "The way I see it your claim has about a few hundred suspects tied to it. It's a flimsy case and there's no way you can prove a wolf did it."

Tobias was silenced by this and sat for a moment. Mulling things over in his head he remembered, "Otis! Otis said that he was attacked by a wolf! There's my proof right there!" Mayor Sutherland shook his head at Tobias, "If I recall correctly, he said that it was very dark that night and was unsure if it was a wolf or just a rabid dog. He also said he assumed the former because he was in shock and didn't see it clearly enough." Before Tobias could get a word in the Mayor interrupted, "Face it Tobias. You're jumping to conclusions without solid evidence. Now, I want you out of my office and I want those posters down. I have more important things to worry about than some paranoid musher. I'll handle the doctor bills if it makes you feel better. Now, good day."

With that Tobias made his leave from the office. Before leaving he turned to the Mayor, "Mark my words. I will get whatever did this. Regardless of what you say."

* * *

**Meanwhile In Another Part of Nome...**

* * *

Thomas Jane stood outside of Nome's General Store tying Brutus to a nearby post. "Now I'm gonna be in here for just a sec boy. Have to talk to Mr. Cooper about something." he said to his dog. "*Arf*" Brutus barked in confirmation to his human. Just as Thomas began to walk into Brutus noticed a group of dogs coming near him.

"...and then we take this crazy sharp turn around the ridge-" the leader said as he stopped to look at Brutus. "Well look who it is." said Cronus to his pack, " Brutus, pal! That leash looks a little tight on you. What? Your human don't trust you or something?" he joked as his friends laughed at Brutus. Brutus growled lowly at his rival, "What a nice surprise. Cronus. Are your lackies still kissing your a** or did you get some real friends this time?" Brutus retorted in spite.

Cronus only laughed and came back with his own insult, "Ya know, it feels so good actually being able to walk around without being tied down to anything." Just before Brutus could respond the dogs all turned to see Riley, an Alaskan Malamute with tan brown fur, limp by with a slight whine coming from his muzzle.

"Hey Riley." Brutus greeted with empathy, "Umm...what happened to your leg?" Riley turned to speak to Brutus and out the corner of his eye, saw Cronus with a slight grin on his muzzle. "Uhh..Hi Brutus. Umm...last night..I-I was attacked." he said with shame in his downcast eyes. "Attacked?" Brutus said in curiosity, "Attacked by who?" Jace interrupted, "Probably that wolf that attacked Otis a few days ago."

Brutus looked toward Riley for confirmation, "I-I think i-it was a wolf. I couldn't really see. Pitch dark at night you know." Riley said with a wry smile. "Yeah, it was a wolf alright." Cronus interjected. Brutus tensed with apprehension and anger at this. "How do you know it was a wolf? What do you know?" Brutus questioned Cronus as he demanded answers. "I was passing by last night when I saw that mongrel ripping our friend here apart. So I thought I'd be the good samaritan that I am and chased the beast away. Ain't that right Riley?" Cronus said as he nudged Riley.

"Is that what happened?" Brutus pressed. Riley looked at both dogs with umcertainty. "I-I think. I sorta black out an-and don't really remember much before that." He stammered. Brutus opened his muzzle to ask more but the store door opened behind him.

Thomas walked out into the group with a bag in his arms. "Hello Cronus." he greeted as he pat Cronus on the head. "It's great to see you two getting along." he said to Brutus as he untied his leash. He looked over at Riley with sympathy in his eyes and patted him on the head as well, eliciting a small whine from him. "Awww. Sorry 'bout the leg Riley. Hope you get better soon." With that he took Brutus's leash in hand and began to move in the direction of his house, "C'mon boy. We're going home to put these up." he said referring to the groceries in his arms. Brutus obeyed and began to leave the group. His ears perked up as he heard a stifled laugh come from the group behind him. The same laugh he heard come from Cronus.

* * *

There was an uncomfortable silence throughout the forest. Normally, there would be chirping of birds, signalling the coming of the morning. But no such sound came to Chaska's ears. This worried him as he raced to the pack of wolves that was once his own, carrying a warning with him. He ran into a small clearing. In the center was a herd of deer. He spotted some movement in the grass, and realized it was some wolves from the pack, sent out to hunt, with Koza and Nikan in their midst. But what worried him was the soft crunch coming from the other side of the bush to his left. He peeked his head through the bush, then felt the sudden urge to hide again as he saw a man, holding a rifle and wearing a set of camouflaged clothing. He backed away slowly, and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted some movement to his far right. He looked towards the source of it and saw another hunter, taking aim. He looked around at the edges and saw that there was at least five hunters, all ready to fire. If he was to save his friends, he would have to act now. He readied himself in the bush to his left and waited for the perfect moment. His moment came when the hunter aimed down his rifle, and at the same time, Chaska leaped through, taking the man by surprise. The man, in a final effort to save himself, fired off a round into the air, startling all the other hunters and the wolves. The man hit his head on a hard rock, knocking him out. The other hunters rushed in to help their companion, and by the time they arrived, Chaska was already gone.

In a few minutes, he had finally caught up with the other wolves. When he arrived, everyone was already preparing to leave. As soon as Dakota and Koza saw him, they started running to him with glad expressions.

"Chaska! There you are!" Dakota embraced him in a friendly hug. "Where have you been? We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I'm fine. I was just having a little walk, and a good thing I was, otherwise they wouldn't have made it home. I managed to distract the hunters long enough for Koza and the others to escape."

"Then I'd like to thank you for saving my life" Koza said.

"No need, but I think we should get moving. They won't be behind for long" Chaska replied. "I'll stay behind, and hold them off. Get the pack to safety."

"No! We are not leaving you!" Koza protested, but Chaska ignored him.

"Tell Nina I said goodbye." Were his last words before heading off. no one moved to stop him, but continued to evacuate the area. Dakota went to wake up Nina, and found her still asleep, probably because of how bad her sickness got earlier before.

"Nina." She shook her lightly to wake her up. Nina lifted her head up slowly, with her eyes barely open.

"Dakota? Have you found Chaska yet?" she asked, sounding sad.

"Yes, but we need to go. There's a group of human hunters coming." Nina opened her eyes a bit more, and gave a confused look.

"But I thought-"

"Things have changed. We need to leave, now!" Dakota ran out to join the others. Nina slowly followed, but became increasingly worried when she couldn't find Chaska. What worried her more was where his scent went.

"Oh no. Chaska."

* * *

Chaska bounded through the forest, searching for the hunters. He made sure to cover his tracks by going along logs and rocks. Further ahead, he caught their scent. He quickly hid in the undergrowth, and waited. After a minute, they began to pass in single file. He waited until the last was in front of him, and grabbed the hunter by the leg, then pulled back, causing him to fall. The other alert hunters turned quickly with their weapons at the ready, but Chaska was already on the run.

"Get that wolf!" the lead hunter ordered as he helped up his companion. The other three gave chase after Chaska, catching up with ease. Chaska looked back to see if he had lost them, and quickly ducked just as a bullet came whistling past. He heard the hunter's indistinct yelling from behind, then more bullet came flying past, hitting the snow at his feet and the trees at his sides. He took cover behind a rock, hoping they didn't see. However, from behind, he heard a click of a weapon readying.

"Got ya, you filthy mongrel." Chaska looked from the corner of his eye to see a middle-aged man, covered with fur coats. His eyes were blazing with fury. His meaty hands ready to squeeze on the trigger. "Looks like I'm getting the first kill of the day" the hunter snickered. Chaska stared into the hunter's eyes, hoping to find a sign of mercy. But there was none. "Say goodbye, you stupid animal." The hunter took aim, lining the rifle with the point between Chaska's eyes. But just before he could fire, another wolf charged from the bushes. The hunter, however, was too quick and struck first, firing into the wolf's chest. The wolf fell to the ground right in front of Chaska. He felt himself overcome by sadness as he saw the face of his mother on the wolf, barely clinging to life. The hunter stood by, basking in the glory of his kill as he checked his weapon.

"No!" he cried. He fell to his knees beside her, trying his best to stop the blood from gushing from her wound. Nina pushed his paw off of it, giving him a face full of relief as if she felt no pain.

"Do not cry. You deserve to live. I was going to die soon anyway."

"No! You'll make it! Takoda will mix something up! It will heal!" Nina moved a paw to his mouth to stop him.

"It's fine. I've felt too much pain, from this illness, and the loss of your father...and my friend, long ago. Be strong for me. Be strong for...for all of us" she said before drawing her last breath. Her chest rose, then fell for the last time. Chaska froze in shock, prayin g silently for her chest to move once more. He buried his muzzle into her neck, silently crying.

"Now it's your turn" the hunter said with a grin. He cocked his rifle towards Chaska, pulled the trigger, and then, there was the click.

* * *

**The feels I had when I typed this. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. See you all in the next one :)**


	13. Grief

Chaska heard the click of the rifle, though did not brace himself. He was still frozen, staring at his mother's lifeless corpse, tears streaming down his cheeks. Yet nothing came. He lifted his head up and looked the hunter square in the eyes. He saw the hunter struggling with his rifle. He looked at his mother, then back to the hunter. He felt a boiling feeling bubbling up inside of him. He moved his front paw towards the hunter, rage filling his eyes.

"You" he growled. The hunter must have his growl, since he looked down towards the now advancing wolf. He began to struggle more with his rifle, trying to load it, though he tripped on a small rock right behind him. He flung his arms into the air, throwing his rifle unwillingly. He quickly recovered to see Chaska getting closer, but he looked much different. It looked as if his fur had gone darker, and his eyes almost red. He bared his fangs, which hung down lower than they normally do. His claws extended to almost double their length. His rage had made him feel much bigger and much more dangerous. "You killed her" Chaska growled again. Although the hunter could not understand Chaska's words, he understood why he was so enraged. The hunter pulled out his knife and began swinging it around in front of him.

"Stay back! I said stay back!" he screamed at Chaska, but he continued forward. He easily dodged his swings, and lunged forward at the right time, grabbing the hunter's arm in his jaw. He crunched down on it, causing the man to let go of his knife as he cried out in pain. The hunter threw Chaska off, but did not knock him off. Chaska leaped forward onto the man, holding him down. He brought his face to the hunter's, his steaming hot breath covering his face. "Please...don't" he uttered. For a second, the hunter believed that it was all over for him. But Chaska got a hold of himself before he could. His eyes went back to normal, as did the rest of his body. He stared down at the hunter, who's eyes were filled with fear. It felt as if he had blacked out for a moment.

"_What am I doing?" _He looked back at the hunter who's face was still frozen with fear, his heart and breath racing. Chaska stared hard at the human. "Go." The hunter remained until Chaska motioned him away with his head. In an instant, he was running, holding his injured arm close to him. Once he was out of sight, Chaska returned to his mother's side. He knew that the hunter would get the others, and he would never let them take his mother, dead or alive. So he grabbed her by the scruff and began dragging her, stopping every now and then to cover up the trail they left behind.

* * *

Somewhere ahead of Chaska, the pack had found refuge in a small system of caves, with the only path leading to it being hidden by some bushes beside a river which washed their scent away. Several wolves stayed on watch over the path, but one was only watching for his friend. Nikan sat at the entrance, looking down the path, expecting Chaska or Nina to come through the bushes at the bottom at any time. He had been there since they arrived. He had also wanted to go after Nina, but Koza forbid anyone from following, for if the did, they would risk leading the hunters straight to the pack. Koza came out and sighed when he saw his brother still waiting.

"Why are you still out here? It's been a long time since they disappeared. I doubt they are still alive. Come inside and we will have something to eat" he persisted. "No" Nikan answered back. "I will not abandon a friend. And if you had any sense left in you, neither would you." Koza was stunned by Nikan's reply. Normally, he was kind and fun. He had never seen him act so aggressively, especially towards his own brother. At the same time, Koza was angered at him, and left as quickly as he appeared.

"Fine! Then you can starve!" he yelled back. Nikan cringed, his ears folded back. He glanced back at his brother. He knew the reason for why he was like that. He was conflicted between protecting the pack and saving his friend. And Nikan felt the same. That was why he sat here, so if either side won, he could take action without anyone stopping him. He hesitated for a moment, then began to go back in. But just before he disappeared into the cave, he caught a glimpse of something down the path. He moved back and saw the bush was moving.

"Guys! Something's coming!" he called out. Koza and Dakota came running out to see what all the commotion was about ,and were soon joined by two other wolves on patrol. They watched closely, ready for anything. And as Chaska came through the bush, their hearts were filled with relief. But that quickly diminished as they saw what he pulled along with him. "Oh no" Dakota gasped. Koza and Nikan rushed to Chaska with the two other wolves. Chaska collapsed from exhaustion next to Nina's body.

"W-what happened?" Nikan stammered. Chaska took a few deep breaths and used what strength he had left to lift his head and answer.

"A...a hunter c..caught me by surprise. H..he almost killed me, but N..N..Nina saved me. She...she died for...me" he finished, then his head fell to the ground as he fell asleep. "Get him some food and water" Koza ordered the two wolves. "Nikan, help me." Nikan came to his brother's side and helped him pull Nina's body up the path behind the two other wolves. Dakota followed them in, holding back tears.

* * *

Chaska found himself waking up in a small chamber deep in a dark cave, with no light. He could barely see, and he knew it would be too dark for any human to see. He began surveying his surroundings. The cave looked damp and cold He felt no touch of the wind, and the air was musty, was he must have been pretty deep. He could hear voices echoing throughout the caves. One of them, he faintly recognized as Koza's. He stood up wearily and found his muscles aching. He then remembered the long trek he made to get to where the pack was, dragging his mother along. He was struck by a sudden wave of sadness as she came to mind. He had been forced to watch what had happened to her as she traded her own life for his. The rage he had felt. How he almost killed the hunter. He shuddered at the thought, never wanting to imagine him killing someone. It puzzled him, how he had become so angered. It was as if he was someone else entirely. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he made his way to the voices. He found Koza with Nikan, discussing something. Koza caught sight of him over his brother's a shoulder and cast a smile.

"Glad to see you're up, though you should be resting. You walked a long way." Chaska grunted at him, obviously disagreeing. "I'm fine" Chaska insisted. "Where is she?"

"I don't think you would want to see her. Go back and sleep some more. We'll come and-"

"I said where is she?" Chaska asked again, his voice becoming more demanding. Chaska gave a hard, long stare in Koza's direction. With a sigh, Koza surrendered and walked towards the exit. "Follow me." Chaska followed closely behind. They went through several other caverns, filled with other wolves. On the way, they offered their sympathies and bowed their heads in respect. He paid no attention to it, since he only wanted one thing. Koza stopped in the entrance of a dimmed cavern, blocking Chaska's path. "Last time to reconsider." Chaska remained silent, giving Koza his answer. He moved to the side, and Chaska walked through to see his mother, laying on the ground. It looked as if she was sleeping, and Chaska would have believed that, if it wasn't for the wound in her side. He made his way to her side and sat down.

"I wish to be alone" he said without turning. Koza gave a nod and turned away to make his way back. Chaska laid his head on her soft neck. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. You kept the truth from me to keep me safe, and I should have known. I wish I could tell this to you, so you could hear." He paused to wipe a tear from below his eye. "I'll miss you. Forever." He cried into her fur for what felt like a lifetime.

* * *

Snow began to fall gently on the Alaskan wilderness. In a small clearing sat Chaska looking down on a small dirt mound with a wolf's pawprint on top. This was the final resting place of his mother, Nina. As he sat there his ears momentarily turned to face the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. He didn't react however. There was no more room in his heart for any other emotion but sorrow and emptiness. "Chaska, everyone's worried about you. Are you okay?" asked Koza. Chaska stayed silent for a moment before speaking, "I'm alright. Just...thinking. Remembering." he said in a low, emotionless voice.

This worried Koza even more. He was new to this side of his friend. Since they were pups, Chaska was always the cheerful, care-free one. But now, it was like he was talking to a completely different wolf. Koza's ears folded against his skull, "Okay. I was just wondering what's your next move." he said trying to be as empathetic as he could. Chaska stayed silent. "Chaska? Did you hear me?" he asked, now only wishing to get any kind of response from his friend. "...I'll stay for one more day, then I'll head back for Nome." Chaska said before falling back into silence.

"Okay then. I'll leave now. And Chaska, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. For everything." Koza apologized. Chaska didn't react, only staring at the grave in silence. With nothing else to be said Koza walked away, leaving his best friend to grieve.

Now alone Chaska's mind began to wander. Memories of Nina turning over around his head. At the thought of his time with his adoptive mother Chaska's eyes began to well up with tears. His heart filled with all sorts of emotions. Heartbreak, Anger, Despair, and Acceptance. With no other way to release all of these feelings Chaska lifted his head into the air and let out a long sorrowful howl that could be heard for miles.


	14. Break Up

"Kara, we need to talk. No, that sounds like I'm breaking up with her." said Agro to himself, as he walked down the street. The black wolf was heading to Kara's house to talk to her about what had happened a day ago. However, after narrowly evading Cronus the previous night he was still a little nervous.

Just as he was about to approach the house, he cringed at the sound of a high-pitched voice screaming his name. "Agro!" yelled Katie, as she stormed out of nowhere toward Agro. "Uuhh...Hi Katie." Agro said with a wry smile as the small Husky stomped toward him, seething with fury. "You! Are the worst! Date ever!" she shouted, catching the attention of some passersby. "Okay first, I need you to lower your voice. I'd really like it if every dog from across town didn't know you were yelling at me." Agro said trying to calm Katie down, "And second, we aren't dating!" He yelled back. Agro's retaliation only made the Husky angrier. "Well what do you call it?" she asked not really expecting an answer. "Uh, you dragging me off somewhere I didn't want to be."

Katie's anger diminished and was replace with tears and heartbreak. Agro saw this change and immediately thought to himself, 'Oh Ancestors, please don't-' Before he could finish his thought Katie began to cry, once again catching the attention of a few dogs within the vacinity. "*sniff* *sniff* I thought you wanted to spend time with me." she sobbed, "I mean, we went to the warehouse. Dogs usually go there to have fun right? You hate me don't you? How could I be so blind?"

Agro began to look around and caught sight of some hard glances aimed at him. "Hey, come on. Stop crying." he whispered to try and calm Katie down, "Look I don't hate you. It's just, I have a girlfriend and you-" Before he could finish Agro was once again tackled by the small Husky and forced into the snow on his back. "Oh Aggie! You really do like me! I'm so stupid for doubting your feelings for me!" she squealed in joy, "I can't wait for us to be mates and have pups and we'll live in the same house together! Wouldn't that be just the best!?"

Agro now getting uncomfortable with the thought of them being paired began to speak up but was cut off by a voice behind him, "What's this all about?" the voice said. Agro immediately recognizing the voice, stood up, letting the small dog on top of him fall into the snow. "Kara! I've been looking for you all day!" he said, overjoyed to see her. "Really? I thought you'd rather spend time with your girlfriend in the snow." she said in a disappointed tone. Agro looked at her in confusion but played it off, "Well, that's sorta why I was looking for you. Except the snow part." he said jokingly, "I need to talk to you about what happened yesterday." Katie immediately responded, "I need to talk to you to." she said, voice slightly breaking.

Agro was even more confused at what she said. Snow began to fall in Nome but the three dogs had yet to notice. "Talk to me? About what?" Almost on cue a pitch black Husky walked up behind Kara. Agro saw the Husky and immediately became agitated, fur spiking up and ears folded back in anger. "Hey Shadow, beat it. Kara and I are in the middle of something." he said to the Husky to make him leave. However, the next action Shadow made only enraged and confused him even more.

Shadow walked close to Kara's side and began to nuzzle her neck fur. "This mongrel botherin' you babe?" he ask Kara who only looked away. "Babe? Kara, what the h*** is this mutt talking about?" he asked, rage dying and confusion rising. "That's the thing." she began, "I'm leaving you Agro." Agro was taken aback, his mouth agape in shock. "What? Wait, leaving me? As in, breaking up?" he asked, only getting a nod in answer. "What do you mean?" Shadow interrupted, "Get the hint wolfie. She's ditchin' you for me. Now get lost."

Agro stood before the two, looking in in disbelief. "So that's it huh? After everything we've been through?" he asked, wanting answers. "I'm sorry but-" Kara said as she was interrupted by Agro, "No. You don't have to say anything. I get it." he said as he walked away, not noticing the small husky following him.

From behind he heard Shadow say, "C'mon Kara. Let's get out of here." a phrase that only made his heart sink deeper. "So Aggie, where was I?" said Katie from behind. This set Agro off, "Listen Katie. Let me get this through your thick skull. There is no 'us' okay? This fantasy you have of us being mates and crap, that's just what it is, crap! There is no 'us' and never will be an 'us'. Got it?" he said in a quiet fit of anger. He walked off before Katie could start to cry.

He walked for several minutes before arriving at the alley that he and Rei live. He laid down under a pile off tossed blankets they used as a bed. Sulking underneath the fabrics he said to himself, "This day couldn't get any worse." Just then it began to snow harder and the wind began to pick up, turning the snowfall into a light blizzard. "I stand corrected."

* * *

Chaska said his final goodbyes to the pack, receiving sympathies and friendly hugs from those who came out to say goodbye. They made two lines on either side of him, creating a path for him to walk through. At the end stood Koza with his mate, his children and brother.

"Come back soon, because you are always welcome here" Koza said. "Don't worry. I will" Chaska replied. Nikan gave a little, playful push as Chaska approached him. "I'll miss you too, Nik."

"Same here" he said back. "And sorry about what happened before. I wish I could have helped." Chaska placed his head against Nikan's in a way to say goodbye. "It's okay. It hit us all hard." He continued on to Dakota, and began to speak, but was surprised when she hugged him closely. "Try to stay safe" she said. "I promise" he said back. Dakota parted from him, giving off a smile. Her daughter, Nova came from under her, where she and her brother stayed. Chaska lowered his head to her level. "Will you ever come back?" Chaska couldn't help but smile at the pup. "I promise. Can you make me a promise?" She nodded, and Chaska moved closer to her to whisper in her ear. She listened closely, giggling at some parts. When he moved away, she smiled and nodded again. "I promise." Chaska lifted his head and gave bowed his head to the family as a final goodbye, then he was off.

He cautiously made his way through the forest, being sure to be aware of the hunters in case they were still around. However, it became harder as he wandered into a blizzard on the way. After trudging through the harsh winds and the snow that covered the ground, he spotted a light in the distance.

"Finally. I made it." He pushed himself more ahead and saw the Agro's alley up ahead. "Hope someone's home." He made his way to the alley, almost being blown off a couple of times. Once he finally made it, he picked up the familiar scent of Agro. "Agro? You in here?" he called down the alley. He waited a moment, and after hearing no response, made his way through the gap in the fence.. Across from him lay Agro. Chaska shook the snow off and made his way to him. "Hey, Agro. You miss me."

"Go away" he grunted. "Come on. What's with the grumpy mood?" Agro dug his head in the blankets and pretended to be asleep. Now Chaska knew something was definitely up. "Hey. What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. Agro mumbled something, so Chaska just sat down, awaiting a response. "I'm not leaving until you answer." Agro, knowing he told the truth, lifted his head from the blankets. Chaska could see that whatever it was, it was bad. His face was damp, and his eyes red. "Okay, what happened? If it was Shadow, he's gonna pay."

"It was him, but not entirely. Kara...she's with him now." Chaska's jaw fell open is shock. "W-what?!" he stuttered, unsure he heard right. "It's over with us."

"W-why would she do that? That doesn't sound like her?"

"Well, she did!" Agro suddenly snapped, catching Chaska by surprise. He took a couple of quick steps back, knowing what Agro was like. But he surrendered, and went back to sulking under the blankets. "Can you at least tell me why?" Chaska pushed on. Agro remained still, then lifted his head again. "Yesterday, Shadow was accusing me in front of Kara that I attacked the man. I denied I ever did, but somehow, Kara didn't fully believe me. I was left with two choices, to attack Shadow, which would have made me look worse, or to run. So I ran. Then after another attack-"

"Another attack? Who was it this time?"

"Riley. So as I was saying, Shadow must have told her some lie, pinning it on me. That is why." Chaska moved closer to his friend and put a paw on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry" he said sympathetically. Agro grew a smile and looked back to his friend. "You don't need to apologize. It's Shadow's fault. I have no reason to snap at you. You weren't even here. By the way, how was it? You came back early." Chaska knew this was coming, and sighed sadly before starting. He began with what Koza told him, then how he ran after he learned the truth. He began to feel tears as he began what happened next. Agro felt more and more sorry for him, and when he finished, Agro gave him a friendly hug. "I guess you had it worse. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I know what it's like, to lose a family member."

"You do? You never told me about your family."

"And there's a reason for that, but I might as well. You might want to sit down."


	15. A Wolf's Past

**Five Years Ago...**

* * *

Somewhere deep in the Alaskan wilderness a small pack of four young wolves were speeding through the forest. "Just give up already! You know you can't get away!" shouted the wolf at the head of the pack as he weaved between the trees if the forest. "Seriously Agro! It's just a game!" shouted the grey wolf that was being chased. "Heh, you know that 'Catch The Caribou' is more than a game Ren!" Agro taunted back being interrupted by the three wolves behind him, "It's a way of life!" they quoted, teasing Agro.

Agro began to notice that his quarry was tiring and broke from his packs formation, jumping into some nearby bushes. Noticing this his pack decided to split ways as well. Ren looked behind him to see that his persuers disappeared. "Guys?" he called out in a worried voice. He looked around to see that they'd deserted him. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he saw that his troubles were over.

Before he could take two steps forward, Ren found himself at the bottom of a literal dogpile. "Gotcha!" the four wolves said from above, laughing. Ren groaned at his humiliating loss. After getting off of him the five wolves began to make their way back to their packs den.

The main pack consisted of about twenty other wolves including the five pups returning to them. "Mother! Father!" called Agro to his parents. "How was your game?" asked Koto, Agro's father. "Did you win?" added Sheeva, his mother. "Yeah! Ren's really slow, but he's getting better!" Agro answered with his tail wagging excitedly. "That's good." said Koto, "Oh! I just remembered! Your aunt had another pup today. Do you want to come see her?" Agro's eyes widened at the news that he'd be having a new younger cousin. Without a word he began to run off to the den his aunt resided in. Koto laughed at this, "I guess that's a 'yes' then." he said to his mate as he kisse her and followed his son.

"She's so...small." Agro said as he watched the new pup curl up next to its mother. "Well she was just born." said Gen, Agro's aunt. Agro began to move closer to the puppy. As he looked at it he noticed that her eyes were closed and weren't opening but she was still moving as if she were awake. "Is she okay? Why aren't her eyes open?" he asked quizzically. "That's because she's blind." Koto answered. Agro gasped and looked down in shame, ears folded back. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." he apologized seeing as he said too much. Gen chuckled at her nephew, "it's okay. It's only temporary. In a few days she'll open her eyes and be a little less close to me and more curious about what she's seeing." she explained. Koto chimed in, "You were the same way when you were born Agro."

Agro lifted his head in relief. He cocked his head to the side and asked, "I was?" Koto nodded at his question. Before anymore could be said Koto heard a howl come from outside the den. All three wolves turned their heads in the direction of the howl. "Oh man! They're back!" said Agro excitedly.

A small party of wolves had just come to the middle of the living area of the pack. They were hunters and with them, they carried they're prey. A large male caribou. The pack's Alpha, Loc, dragged the caribou to the middle of the pack. He and his mate were the first to begin feeding before giving the 'okay' for the rest of the pack to join in.

Koto tore a large piece of flesh from their meal and gave it to Agro, who quickly wolfed it down. "Did you see the size of that caribou father? It was bigger than the last one we had!" he said joyfully. Koto looked over to the Alpha and quietly asked for a word with him.

"You're playing a dangerous game here Loc." he said quietly to his leader, "Stealing for the polar bear's territory? Are you trying to get us killed?" Loc growled lowly at his younger brother, "I'm trying to feed this pack. The humans are moving closer and closer in our territory. They're taking all the game and there isn't enough food to go around. What would you have us do? Starve?" he asked. "No. But I'd feel better if we'd move." Koto said in response. Loc scoffed at his brother. "Not this again." he said exasperatedly. "I already know what you're gonna say. 'This is our pack's land. It's been our land for twelve generations.' But right now you need to consider the repercussions of what you're doing!" said Koto, trying to get through to his older brother. Loc became more agitated and slightly raised his voice, "What you need to consider is who you're talking to! I'm your Alpha. You do what I say." Loc said commandingly and stormed off. Koto sat on his haunches and sighed, looking at the ground with his ears flat on his skull. "I thought I was talking to my brother." he said to himself.

* * *

Later that night Agro woke to an empty den. Usually he would be curled up in the fur of his father but this time the cold stone of the floor was his only comfort. "Mother? Father?" he called out receiving no answer. He began to look around the darkness of small cave, his crimson wolf eyes seeing through the shadows. He saw nothing and began to rely on his next strongest sense. He began to smell the air to track his parents down. Their scent however, was masked by a more pungent odor in the air. One he remembered earlier that day during supper: the smell of blood.

The smell radiated from the opening of the cave. Curiously he padded toward the entrance to find the source of the smell. When he looked out into his pack's clearing he was greeted with a sight that no pup his age should have to see.

The bodies of wolves were strewn every which way. All covered in blood and some contorted in awkward directions. He gazed on wordlessly as he took in his surroundings. To the left he saw a large white figure surrounded by several smaller brown and grey figures. He moved forward to get a closer look ducking behind small rocks to stay out of sight.

As he looked closer the figures became clearer. He saw the white figure, a polar bear, standing on all fours low and defensively. The brown and and grey figures, wolves of his pack, making a stand to defend what was led of their pack. Among these wolves were his father and uncle. "Father!" he called to get their attention. The wolves looked up but so too did the polar bear. Seeing an easier target the bear began to advance on Agro's location. "Run Agro!" shouted his father.

Agro was frozen in fear as the bear lumbered toward him. The near was right in front of him and stood in its hindlegs. Just as it reached down to strike the pup it reared up in pain, claws only grazing his left eye and tossing him backwards.

As Agro lay on the ground, through hazy eyes, he saw his father biting down on the shoulder of the beast. He began to fade in and out of consciousness, only catching glimpses of what unfolded in front of him. He saw his father on the bear, fade to darkness. The bear standing with his father standing in front of it, fade to darkness. The bear striking at the wolves with a loud audible crunch, fade to darkness.

When he'd finally come to he stood on wobbly legs. His head pounding in pain with blood flowing over his closed left eye. He started to look around but only saw bodies. He moved closer to where he'd last seen his father but only found heartache. His father lay on the ground, cold and unmoving. "Father?" he called nudging him to try to wake him up. "Father please. Wake up." he pleaded through tears eyes. He pressed his small ear against his father's chest to try to hear something. The beat of life had left him.

Agro stood over his father's body in the center of the clearing. Tears streaming from his crimson eyes he began to look around. Finding nothing but more bodies and blood he walked into the cave that belonged to Gen and the new pup. In the spot where he'd last seen them there was nothing but a large smudge if blood.

Agro began to frantically search the camp, looking for any signs of life but finding none. Making his way back to his family's den he passed the body of his mother. He looked at her seeing a large bite in her neck covered in red. He did nothing. He did not check her body nor did he try to speak with her. He only kept walking until he'd left the sight.

* * *

**Days Later...**

* * *

Above the ridge separating the woods from a small human settlement sat a lone black wolf pup. Exhausted and starved Agro stumbled forward but fell. Not being able to carry on he began to slip into darkness. As his eyes closed he saw a shadow appear in front of him. "I'm going to die. Aren't I?" he asked the figure. In a thick accent the figure responded, "No you won't. Don't ever say that again in your life." With this a small smile stretched its way across his muzzle as he let darkness embrace him.

* * *

**Five Years Later...**

* * *

"...and that's what happened. Boris found me and took care of me." Agro said finishing his story. Chaska looked at his friend deeply. Looking at his features he noticed the scar over his eye as if he'd never seen it before. Breaking the silence Chaska began, "I'm so sorry. I had no idea what you've be through." Agro waved his apology away, "It's okay. But since I told you that, there is one more thing I have to do." Chaska became curious of this, "What's that?" he asked. "It's a tradition in my pack that to grieve over loss we howl for our loved ones. That way we can tell them how much we miss them. Would like to do it with me?" Agro asked. Chaska nodded and without another word they lifted their heads in the air and howled toward the heaven. They howled loudly to make sure their message was heard wherever their family was watching from.

At the end of the howl both canines were exhausted and retired to the tattered blankets in the alley.

* * *

**And that's another chapter. So there's Agro's past for you, thanks to Draco. Honestly, I was pretty sad when Draco sent me this, and he was sad when he wrote for now, everyone :)**


	16. On The Run

**Here's another chapter. Hope you all enjoy :)**

* * *

Chaska woke up from his rest, finding himself mostly covered by tattered blankets. Close to him, Agro was also covered, except for his head, which was held high. His ears were pointed up. He looked fully aware, as if there was danger nearby.

"What is it?" Chaska asked, but Agro didn't need to answer as a pair of dogs went by, followed by some humans. Chaska recognized one of them as one of the hunters. The humans were armed with hunting rifles. He calmed down as they passed, but then Agro stood up and ran through the opening in the fence at the other end. "Agro? Where are you going?" Chaska asked again.

"They're heading for Balto! Come on!" Chaska sprung into action and sprinted after him. He soon saw that Agro was right. on their way, they saw the group of hunters heading to the trawler. Agro was much faster than Chaska, and reached the trawler first. Chaska arrived only seconds later, and saw that Balto was already waking up his kids with Boris's help, pushing them to the exit while Agro began waking Rei up.

"Come on, Rei! We need to go! Now get moving!" he ordered, dragging him across the floor. Rei mumbled in response, still being asleep. Chaska stood at the door, watching the hunters from a distance. "Chaska. A little help." He came to Agro's aid, switching with Boris who now stood guard. Chaska grabbed Rei's scruff and pulled him over Agro's back, moving him so he was laid along his back. His legs hung down, but were too short to reach the ground. "I'll go first" Agro said. He went past Boris, staying close to the deck, and once he reached the deck, hurried down it and hid in the shadow of the trawler. Next was Balto. He carried three pups on his back and one in his mouth by their scruff, and Boris held one other. Chaska carried the last one, Aleu, on his own back. Balto went down first, then Boris, and Chaska last.

"Head for the forest as fast as you can" Chaska whispered, careful not to reveal their position. "Okay" Agro replied. "On my go." He peered past the ramp, and saw the humans getting closer. "GO!" he yelled, and bolted forward. The others stuck right behind him. Surprisingly, there was no gunfire. Chaska glanced back and saw they had left unnoticed. The humans climbed on board the ship, not knowing it was now empty. The group made it beyond the treeline, and stopped to catch their breath.

"I..I think..we lost them" Chaska puffed. "Gee..you think?" Agro panted back. Chaska looked on his back and saw Aleu smiling back at him. Surprisingly, it looked like she was having more fun than the other pups, who were shaking with fear with their fur on end. "We keep going now!" Boris called to us from the front.

"Alright, keep your feathers on, Uncle" Agro called back. "We were about to keep going, but we need to breath. Come on guys, before the grumpy goose up ahead gets even more grumpy." Boris growled and muttered something under his breath, probably an insult aimed at Agro. They rushed ahead once they had recovered their breath, without a knowing of where to go. All except one.

"We should head for Koza's pack" Chaska suggested. The others looked back at him with skeptical looks. "It'll be a day's hike with our numbers and the pups, but it will be far safer than just wandering around the town." The others thought about the idea, and then nodded in agreement. "Okay. Lead the way" Balto said. "Stay close, guys. Don't linger too far behind." They headed forward, with Chaska in the lead.

* * *

Elsewhere in the forest, a hunting party had gathered to settle the score with the wolves. "Alright. Jack, Mark, and Bailey. You three will search to the west. Alex and George, you go east. The rest of you go north with me." ordered the leader. About ten hunters gathered with some dogs to scour the forest in search of their quarry.

Among the dogs are some of sledteam no.33 including Cronus, Jace, and Rex, a grey Siberian Husky. "Jace, Rex you stick with me. Mic, you and Jake go with the east search team. Grey, George, and Colt. You're with west." commanded Cronus as he issued orders of his own. "Now, let's go catch us some wolves." he said as the search teams dispersed.

As Cronus and the rest of the north search team made their way through the forest Rex began to notice Cronus started to tremble and sport a wicked grin on his muzzle. "Hey Jace. What's up with Cronus, eh? He's actin' all weird." Rex whispered hoping their leader didn't hear. "Don't mind him. He's just excited is all." Jace replied. "And who wouldn't be? We're gettin' to kill us some wolves. Those d***ed mongrels don't deserve to even breathe the same air as us." Cronus interjected as Rex jumped slightly at the sound of Cronus entering their conversation.

A few moments later they approached a track in the snow, a paw print to be exact. Cronus walked toward the print and sniffed it to get the scent. As he sniffed a memory tore its way through his mind. A painful memory depicting his former mate, Sapphire, being mauled before his very eyes. Soon after a more pleasurable memory took its place, one of him killing the very attacker, a wolf, that took the one most precious to him.

As he lifted his head a more sadistic smile stretched across his muzzle as he bared his fangs and took off in the direction of the scent. The hunters sprinted swiftly through the thick woods. As they ran Rex spoke up, "Why are we even going after the wolves? What'd they do?" Jace looked away with guilt ridden eyes as he began to recall what lead to this.

* * *

**Several Hours Earlier...**

* * *

"It's really coming down out there." said Jace, commenting on the blizzard just outside the warehouse. Many of the dogs in Nome took shelter from the storm seeing as it was more convenient and warm than going to their homes. Among the canines sat Cronus and Jace sitting in a secluded corner, away from the rest of the dogs who were mingling with one another.

"It is isn't it?" Cronus asked rhetorically, "This is exactly what we need for the last part of the plan." Jace could feel the air around he and Cronus get heavier as he spoke. This made him nervous, "What do you mean?" he asked in a hushed voice, "I thought that we already did why we had to."

Cronus was looking off in a nearby window at the storm as it blew through town. "Jace. What are murderous, bloodthirsty wolves best at?" Cronus asked as he turned to his subordinate, "You know what we have to do." Jace's eyes widened as he caught on to what Cronus was insinuating. "No. We did what we had to. We don't need to go that far!" he said in a panicked, but still hushed,voice to ensure no one heard what they were saying. "Yes we do! We need a stronger message!" Cronus argued. "A stronger message? We already have Otis and Riley for that." Jace retorted, trying to bring his leader to his senses.

Cronus moved closer to Jace. His fangs bared with a low growl emitting from his throat. "And look where that's got us!" he quietly yelled, "A crippled dog and skeptical man. A few hunters who can't even kill one wolf! We need this done right. And if you're not with me, then you're against me!" Jace was tacked aback by this outburst. He quickly looked around to make sure no one heard them before returning to the issue at hand. "I'm not against you, but I...I can't do what you're asking of me." he said, ears pulled back and looking away. Unable to see what's become of his friend. Cronus looked at Jace with a disappointed scowl, "Guess I have to do it myself then." he said turning away, "You probably would've messed up anyway." With that Cronus left the warehouse and disappeared in the blizzard.

"I can hardly see a d*** thing out here!" said Mr. Keller, the local tailor, as he trudged through the snow. As he slowly made his way toward his home he heard a whining sound coming from behind him. He turned around to see a pitch black Husky stranded in the storm. The dog's ears folded back and single golden eye shining through the white of the storm. "Hey there boy." he greeted warmly, "you must be stranded too." he reached out a hand toward the dog and in a split second he found himself in the snow, gasping for air as the canine's jaws tore through his throat. Finally his world went black, ending his suffering.

With a dark look on his face Cronus stared down at the body. "Maybe this'll get my point across." he said as he dragged the corpse into a nearby alley, leaving the legs exposed so that someone finds him. Cronus quickly cleaned the blood from his muzzle with some snow before he strolled down the street, whistling a merry tune.

* * *

In the first half of their journey, they made it through the forest. Ahead was the next half, at the end being the small mountain Koza's pack had made a new home in. All that was left was to cross a wide, frozen wasteland that stretched across. At first, it was easy. Then the blizzard came. It started in a second, taking them by surprise. The group's distance between each other grew, with Rei lingering behind. Boris had gone ahead earlier, before the storm, which worried them, since he hadn't been seen since then. Balto, Chaska and Agro had two pups each under them, so they could take cover from the storm.

"We need to find shelter, or the children will freeze!" Balto yelled up to Chaska. Chaska knew he was right. He could feel the two pups under him shivering against his chest and stomach. "We can't! We're so close already!" Chaska argued. "I will not put my kids in danger! We are stopping! You can go on for all I care, but not with my kids!" Balto yelled back. Chaska looked back at his brother. Balto began backtracking towards the forest, with his pups and, Rei Agro in tow. Chaska hesitated, and began continuing on, but stopped and turned back. He caught up with the others, letting Balto take the lead this time.

After some more walking, they arrived back at the edge of the forest and a small formation of rocks which formed an arch shape. Balto led his kids in, with the others nudging some forward. "We'll wait out the storm here. Get some rest, kids. I'll be on watch" Balto said. "Don't bother. Rest with your kids. Me and Agro will be on watch" Chaska insisted. "Come on, Agro."

"Fine. But only for a short while, then I'm going to have a sleep of my own." Chaska and Agro went back outside, leaving a sleeping Rei and worrying Balto inside. Only one thing now remained on his mind. "I hope Jenna will be safe" he said aloud.

"Doesn't she get home soon?" Balto lifted his head up and saw that Rei was now awake, but still looked drowsy. "Yes. Tomorrow, she should. I just hope she will be safe." He sighed. There was silence, except for the howling of the wind outside, then Rei spoke up again. "Hey. Why doesn't Boris go and warn them? That is, when he gets back." Balto looked at Rei, very impressed by the idea. "You know, that isn't such a bad idea. But we'll have to wait. Now get some rest. I think we'll be walking some more soon, once the storm is gone." Rei nodded, yawning as he did. He lied his head back down and fell asleep. Balto looked at his pups, smiling at their sleeping forms. Once he was sure they were all fine, he too fell asleep.

* * *

**And that's another chapter complete, the flashback thanks to Draco. See you all in the next chapter, and don't forget to review :)**


	17. Seeking Refuge

By the time morning had arrived, the blizzard had stopped, with only a small gust blowing across the tundra outside the cave. Chaska felt the warmth of the sun enter the cave. His eyes opened, then blinked a few times. He stretched out his front legs, letting out a long yawn as he did. Once he had stretched enough, he started to look around. next to him, Balto was still sleeping, with his pups laying close against him, who also were sleeping. Chaska remembered that the others were outside, and went out to check on them, only to find Rei asleep, and Agro nowhere to be found. Chaska raised a paw up, and brought it down on Rei's head. Rei woke up almost immediately.

"OW!" Rei moved his head around until his eyes met Chaska. "Why'd you do that?" he snapped. Chaska frowned at Rei. It took Rei some time to realize why, seeing that his brother was no where to be seen. "That hurt you know" he said, rubbing his head.

"Did you see where Agro went?" Chaska asked. Rei just shrugged and went back inside the cave, where he could hopefully get more rest. Chaska lowered his head to the ground, and started sniffing around until he got Agro's scent. He followed it deeper and deeper into the forest. "Come on, Agro. Where are you?" he whispered himself. He spent a while looking for him, until his trail ended. And standing in front of him was the grey and black wolf he was looking for. "Where have you been? You were supposed to be on-" Chaska watched as his eyes moved down to the group of rabbits hanging from Agro's jaw by their ears. "What is that?" Agro dropped the rabbits in front of Chaska.

"Lunch. We'll need some for the trip over." They both stood there in silence, looking at the rabbits. "Well? Are we just going to stand here staring at these rabbits or are we gonna take them back." Chaska blinked out of his trance-like state. "Right." Chaska picked up half of them, while Agro took the others. Chaska tried to ignore the taste of their blood, but it was hard to ignore the bitter taste, though he did still carry them, with Agro right behind him.

It took them a short time to get back, and found that everyone was awake. Several pups ran out to greet them, with one other being held in Balto's mouth by their scruff. He set the pup down, and watched the pup run over to join their siblings. "I see you brought breakfast" Balto said.

"Yeah. Found Agro in the forest, carrying these, though he should have notified someone first" Chaska said back, glancing at Agro from the corner of his eye as he did. Agro saw it, and gave a nervous smile. "Alright kids. Dig in, but don't-" Balto had no time to finish as the pups scrambled over one another to get a bite. Balto let out a tiring sigh and took one of the rabbits for himself. Rei and Chaska each took one, while Agro took two. Chaska frowned at him, and Agro smiled again. "I'm hungry." Chaska rolled his eyes and reluctantly began eating by small chunks of meat. However, he only had one bite before he had enough, saying he was full, then sat to wait for the others to finish.

* * *

The wind was howling as the hunters gathered around the roaring fire. "It's 'bout time the mayor gave us the 'go ahead' on this. Been waitin' to get some payback for what those d*** mutts did to Riley." Tobias said to the other hunters in his party. "I honestly had nothin' against them but after yesterday, I'll be glad to be rid of the beasts." said James, the youngest of the hunters.

While the hunters were discussing their opinions about the wolves, their dogs was offering their own say on them. "So Rex, what about you? How are you gonna kill a wolf when you see it?" Cronus asked with a sadistic smile on his face. "I sorta don't want to kill wolves. I mean, how do we even know they did it?" the husky said with a nervous look on his face. Cronus looked at him with a scowl and began to growl lowly, "What the h*** do you mean you don't want to kill them!?" he shouted as he stood up in outrage, "Why wouldn't you want to kill them? You saw what they did to Mr. Keller!" Rex looked off to avoid Cronus's gaze and whined lowly.

Cronus walked closer to Rex and moved his face closer to Rex's, "Let me make this clear to you mutt. You are under my authority. Which means you do what I say. Now when we find these mongrels you will kill them, or I might 'mistake' a certain husky for a wolf in the commotion. Got it?!" Cronus threatened. Rex quickly nodded so he'd back off, however he noticed a pungent odor under his breath, he couldn't quite place his paw on it but he knew the scent from somewhere.

* * *

Later that night Rex and Jace were chosen to go on patrol with two other hunters. As they walked through the forest Rex began to think about what happened earlier. Cronus being upset, yelling in his face, and finally the strange smell of Cronus's breath.

He'd never smelled anything like it, or at least, that's what he thought. He turned over to Jace, "Hey Jace, Cronus seems real uptight about this whole thing. I mean, he yelled cus I didn't want to kill the wolves. What do you think? Do you even want to kill the wolves?" he asked. Jace looked away, avoiding Rex's gaze, "*sigh* I don't even know anymore." he answered. This made Rex more curious, "What do you mean?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

Jace gave him a distraught look, one filled with disappointment and confusion, "Look, it's best if you don't ask any questions and do what he says. Less people get hurt that way." he answered, peaking Rex's curiosity even more. "Get hurt? What are you saying?" he pressed. Jace fell quiet. Rex began to look at him and began to piece the pieces together, "Wait Jace, what do you know? Did Cronus-" he asked before being cut off, "I said too much. Look, this conversation never happened. Just-don't say anything to Cronus unless he speaks to you. And even then, watch your words. You're a good pup and you're young. You've got a good head on your shoulders and I'd like to keep it that way." Jace said vaguely as he rushed ahead of Rex to walk beside the hunters.

Back at the Camp...

Tobias was lazily gazing at his surroundings when he noticed something was off. He stood up and started looking at the sight. Two hunters and two dogs were gone, leaving only him and one other dog, a black one-eyed husky, at the camp. As he looked around he noticed an indentation in the snow, one belonging to the missing dog. However, he waved this off, "Probly went to take a p***." he said dismissively as he started to star gaze, unaware that his other party members were being followed.

Back in the Forest...

A figure covered in the shadows of the tree watched the group of hunters and dogs scower the forest for any sign of wolves. His gaze locked on the husky and German shepherd with the group, "I've come too far to let you mess this up." he said to himself quietly, his single golden eye gleaming in the darkness of the night.

* * *

Once they all had their fill of food, Chaska led the others forward across the frozen plain. Even though there was no blizzard, the cold of the wind still nipped at their skin under their fur. The pups stay closed to the adults, trying to stay warm.

"How much further?" Agro asked from the back. Chaska glanced back at him. He could hear the worry in his voice. He had two pups under him, both shivering from the cold, as did Chaska. He looked ahead and saw the shape of the mountain. Close in front of them, the bush that hid the path came into view, hidden by the snow that covered it.

"It's just ahead!" he called back. Agro let out a groan before continuing on. They stopped at the small bush at the bottom the path. Chaska looked around, just to be sure there were no hunters nearby before giving off a low howl. They waited for a small moment, then another came from the top in response. Two of the pack wolves came through the bush and led them up the small mountain to the cave at the top. Waiting in the entrance was Chaska's friend and the pack leader, Koza.

"I know you said you would be back, but I didn't expect it to be this early" he confessed with a smug look. His expression changed to curiousness when he saw the others behind Chaska. "What's happened?"

"The hunters almost got us. We came here, seeking refuge" Chaska explained. Koza was hesitant at first, looking from one to another. After much thought, he reluctantly sighed and stepped aside.

"They may stay." He turned to his brother, Nikan, at his side. "Take two others and cover their trail. I'd rather not be killed in my sleep tonight." His brother bowed his head in acknowledgement and took two other wolves down the path. Koza turned into the cave with Chaska and his friends behind him. "I hope you enjoy your stay here with us. My mate will care for your pups while I show you around. Is that okay with you?" he asked Balto.

"Yes, I guess it's fine." As his pups left, Balto went close to Koza and whispered something to him. "But if you could, make sure no one speaks of their heritage. They don't know of their wolf side to them, and I'd rather they didn't know." Koza nodded and told another wolf to spread the news.

"Let us continue on." They continued deeper into the cave. Chaska could see that Agro was impressed, but he could also see something else in his eyes. Sadness. Chaska then remembered of his past, and that seeing the pack brought back painful memories. He took a step back so he was beside Agro.

"Hey Agro, you okay?" Agro looked at him and put on a smile.

"Yeah. I'm fine, really" he assured, but Chaska wasn't easily fooled. Agro's smile changed to a sorrowful face, showing his sadness. "Okay, you got me. It's just...seeing a pack again, it brings back old memories. Memories that I'd wish would just stay at the back of my mind." Chaska gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. I'm here for you. What are friends for?" Agro's smile came back. He felt happy again, and the memories disappeared to the back of his mind.

* * *

Back at the town, Kara, Kel and May stood in the crowd, along with their parents and humans. Just outside the town, a pair of sleds stopped. On one, a man with his wife and daughter stopped, and the other with their luggage behind them. The family climbed off, with a female husky that was hidden from view. The husky had red and white fur, and looked a bit older than Kel. Kel and her sisters ran at her, calling her name.

"JENNA!" The husky faced them and smiled with glee before she was caught in a their big hug. "We've missed you, Jen" May cried.

"I've missed you girls too. So how was things while I was gone?" The girls dreaded the question, and prepared her for the news.

"Jenna. We're so sorry." Her face became covered with a confused expression. What came next would break her heart.


	18. Found

Jenna cried so hard, her lungs felt like they were about to burst. Kel and Kara did their best to comfort her, but it was no use. She kept on screaming her mate's and children's names, tears pouring down her face and chest, dampening her fur, as well as Kel's chest which she rested her head on. Kel softly pat on her head, whispering words of comfort while Kara attempted to soothe her by patting her back.

"It'll be okay. They will be fine" Kel whispered. But Jenna continued to cry. She feared for their safety, and only wished to see them again. "You will see them again. I promise." Jenna's crying came to a stop, followed by a few sniffs.

"Do you really believe they will survive?" Jenna asked, a few tears still dripping down. Kel was unsure of what to say. She did not want to make an empty promise if they didn't come back, but she also didn't want to see her friend cry again.

"I promise. They've been through a lot. Compared to all that, this is a cake walk for them. They'll get through this. I know they will." Jenna's sniffing stopped soon after, and her breathing slowed. Kel looked down at her to see she was now sleeping. She looked to the window. The sun had begun to set. She watched it go down, thinking about Chaska as she did. "Please make it back. I miss you." She rested her head on Jenna's, and shed one tear before falling asleep herself.

* * *

The mountain began to darken as the sun went down. Chaska sat outside, watching it set. The moon that replaced the sun was a full moon, much like one he had seen on a very memorable day. That day was when he and Kel had their first date together. He could visualize Kel's smooth fur, glistening in the moonlight. Her jade green eyes shining. He let out a long sigh, taking it all in again. But like a mirage, it disappeared. He felt empty inside himself again.

"Hey Chas." Chaska became startled by the voice behind him, though quickly realized it was Koza. "You've been out here for a while now. Is something wrong?" he asked. Chaska looked down at the ground glumly and nodded.

"I miss her." Koza knew who he meant and sat next to him.

"I'm sure they're fine. From what you said to me about the humans, I'm sure they would not hurt her, or the others. Even if the humans were to hurt them, they will find a way out." He paused, watching the moon with Chaska. "You know, I remember when Akiak kidnapped her." Chaska's attention got drawn to him by his words. "You might not believe this, but she put up a fight. One of the wolves helping to bring her in had a few scratches on him. And from what I saw that night, I trust she can get herself out of any trouble." Chaska arched an eyebrow at him.

"You really think so?" Koza nodded without looking at his friend. Chaska felt a sense of relief. Deep inside, he knew it was true. She may look like she is incapable of protecting herself, but she was very capable of it. "Okay. I'll trust your word. But still, I worry."

"I know you do. but I'm sure that once all this blows over, you can return." Koza turned his head at the sound of his name and stood up to leave. "I'll see you at dinner. Don't stay out here too long." He disappeared back into the cave, leaving Chaska alone once more. "_But what if it_ doesn't?" he thought._ "What if it never changes? I'll never see her again."_

* * *

The wind picked up in the dense forest. A lone slate grey husky walked silently through the woods, searching for someone or something. "This wind isn't helping at all. If I'm gonna find Chaska I gotta find his tracks." Brutus said as he observed the ground for any sign of the wolf. After searching for several minutes he gave up, "Good luck with that. Snow's covered it up by now." he said with a sigh.

He continued on his way, blindly following a buried path and his instincts. As he walked he started to recall how he got there.

* * *

**1 Day Earlier...**

* * *

Inside the near empty residence of the Jane's, Brutus heard a soft weeping sound come from his eldest daughters' room. "Kel? Are you alright sweety?" he asked gingerly as he peaked through the cracked door. Inside the room was not only his daughter, but an unexpected guest. "Jenna? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" Jenna only turned her head slightly so she could see who was speaking to her. "Hi Brutus." she said in a near whisper, "I-I was just thinking about Balto and my pups. Where could they be?"

Brutus walked closer and placed a paw on her shoulder, "I'm sure they're fine. I mean, they're wolves, right? Well, not Balto or the pups." he said in an attempt to brighten her spirits. However he was only met with more sobbing sounds. Kel looked at him with a face that said, 'Dad. You're not helping.'

Brutus cleared his throat, "Well, what I'm trying to say is that Balto's been in worse jams than this, right? And he's always gotten out of them. So, in that sense, it proves that everything will be alright." he said in his second attempt to help. Jenna began to calm down, "You think so?" she asked, the faintest ember of hope filling her heart. Brutus nodded, "Just to make sure things come out okay, how about I go out and find them?" he suggested. Jenna's eyes widened and a small smile stretched across her muzzle, "You'd do that?" Brutus nodded again, "It's the least I could do. He saved Thomas's son, Cody. I practically owe him one."

Jenna instantly wrapped him in a tight hug, "Thank you so much Brutus!" she said in relief.

* * *

**Back in the Forest...**

* * *

Brutus came out of his thoughts to find a set of paw prints on the ground. Upon inspecting them, he noticed they were smaller than a wolf's paw prints and beside them ran human boot prints. He poked his nose close to the print and sniffed. "Shadow." he growled realizing that his rival was hunting his best friend's brother.

* * *

Chaska raised his head in full alert. He knew what he had heard. He looked towards the tundra and saw some figures coming towards the mountain. once he realized what it was, he ran inside to warn the others.

"Chaska? What's wrong?" Koza asked.

"The hunters. They're here!" he yelled. Everyone was up in an instant, running around in a panic.

"Stop!" Koza instructed. Everyone stopped and turned their attention to their leader. "Nikan. Gather the females and the children and go through the caves. I'm sure there will be an exit. Same with you and your friends, Chaska."

"No" Chaska said in defiance. "I want to help."

"You can help by leaving. Now go!" Koza growled. His stance became more authoritative, standing tall over Chaska. Chaska stared right back at him, then reluctantly went with the others. However, when they were deeper into the caves, he stopped when he heard gunshots. He thought for a bit, not knowing what to do. After some thought, he decided what to do.

* * *

Koza leaped behind a rock as the bullet just hit his previous location. He peeked around the rock, only to quickly withdraw when another went by.

"Dammit!" one of the hunters yelled out. "Get out here, you damn mutt!" Koza remained back, unaware of the dog behind him. He heard the growl from behind and turned to fight back, but was too late as the husky slammed into him.

"Stay down, wolf" the dog said. "I won't hurt you." He looked up at the dog to see who stood over him. It was an older, slate grey dog, with green eyes. "My name is Brutus. I am a friend of Balto's."

"Why should I believe you?" Before he could answer, another dog came into view behind the one on Koza.

"I should have known." The dog turned to be face to face with his rival. The other dog rammed him in the side, allowing Koza to move. He rolled away and watched as they fought against each ended with the other dog standing over the one who called himself Brutus. "Now, you will pay!" he yelled. Then the unexpected happened. Chaska leaped onto the dog's back, and bit down. It howled in pain, and threw him off. His eyes narrowed as he saw who had attacked him. "You will pay for that." They began circling each other.

"Leave, Cronos." Chaska growled, but it was not his usual growl. It was more deeper. His fur had darkened, and his eyes had become red with rage. "Or you will regret ever coming here." Koza could see that this was not the normal Chaska he used to be. It was as if...he was entirely someone else.

"Chaska? Don't do anything stupid." Chaska turned towards him, growling at him.

"Stay out of my way!" Koza quickly stepped away, frightened by this new Chaska. But Cronos seemed to enjoy it.

Cronus let out a sadistic laugh, "You're making this way too easy! Brutus and the wolves? It's like it's my birthday!" he shouted as he bared his fangs in a toothy smile. Without thinking Chaska lunged at him head on, gnashing his teeth in hopes of latching onto him, but only biting air.

From behind Cronus had bitten down on Chaska's tail, making the wolf yelp in pain. Chaska turned and swiped at the dog but find him just out of reach. "Oooh, I am going to make this last." he said in a low c*** tone as he lunged at Chaska. Before he could hit his mark Brutus came from the side and slammed him against a nearby stone. "Wait your damned turn mutt! I'll deal with you soon enough!" he growled as he swiped at Brutus, knocking him away. He moved in to engage Chaska once more, but what no one knew is that one of the humans had planted explosives in the hope to drive the wolves out. What came next stopped everyone in their tracks.

"Avalanche!" Someone yelled. But it was too late. Chaska was taken by the wave of snow. Then, all that was left was darkness.


	19. Trapped

Chaska felt his head pounding. He groaned in pain, and tried to shake it off. That was when he found out he could not move. Once his vision cleared up, he saw he was trapped under a heavy mass of snow. He then remembered the avalanche. He tried to move again, but was still stuck. As he tried to move, he felt a gap with his back left leg. He frantically began kicking at it, and then the snow began to move. It wasn't long before he started falling, hitting the snow below him with a thud. He stood up and stretched his muscles. Looking around, he saw that the only way he could go was straight through the tunnel ahead. Seeing no other way, he crawled forward. After at least a minute, though, he found himself in a larger area. And right ahead was a hunter. Chaska felt something in him, making him move back. But the hunter didn't move. It didn't take long for him to realize that the hunter was unconscious. He started to move back, but another rumble came, trapping Chaska with the hunter. At the same moment, the hunter began to wake up. Once he saw Chaska across from him, he grabbed his rifle and aimed it at Chaska.

"Stay back! Or I will shoot!" he warned, fear and anger in his eyes. They both stayed frozen, staring the other down. "Stay back" he warned again, this time in a calmer tone as he lowered his rifle. Instead, Chaska moved closer. The hunter raised his rifle again. "Don't." Chaska continued on, but slowly. He stopped a dew paces ahead of the hunter. That's when the hunter recognized him. "Wait a minute. You're from town, aren't you?" Chaska nodded. The hunter lowered his rifle slowly, and then put it to his side. Chaska slowly came to his side and laid down. "Well, if we are going down, we might as well go as friends." He placed a hand on his head. Chaska accepted the gesture and rubbed his muzzle along his palm.

* * *

Chaska stopped his digging to catch his breath again. He looked back to see the hunter hadn't moved from his position, sitting against the wall of snow.

"I don't see why you keep on trying. We're trapped. you may as well give up." Chaska huffed and went back to digging.

_"Why are humans always so quick to give up?" _he wondered. He kept on digging and digging until he became tired again. He looked at his progress, but felt his hope slowly diminish. He had gotten anyway. Wherever he dug, more snow would fill it. He hit his paws against the wall of snow, and groaned in frustration.

"I told you, wolf. We ain't escaping this." Chaska turned back and growled, and the hunter raised his hands defensively. "Sorry. Just sayin'." Chaska grumbled and sat with his back to the hunter. "Great. Now I'm getting the silent treatment from an animal." Chaska growled again.

"Why does this human not ever stop talking?" Chaska groaned. His head hung low, wishing the hunter stopped talking.

"By the way, I never learnt your name. What am I saying, your an animal. How are you supposed to tell me? Well, I might as well tell you my name. I'm Adrian." he stretched his hand out towards the wolf-dog. "Well. Don't you want to shake?" Chaska looked at the hunter, and hesitantly thought about it. After some thought, he went over to the hunter and accepted it with his paw. "You know, I always believed you wolves were bad. But now that I see you, and get closer to you, I see differently. You are just completely...misunderstood...creatures." The hunter collapsed, startling Chaska. He had a closer look, and saw a thin, long stick embedded in his side.

_"Oh no. He's dying!" _Chaska thought. He looked back at the wall, then to the hunter. He came to a decision, and returned to the wall. He felt that his own life was fading, and just as he was about to give up, he felt his paw break through. He pulled it out and looked through and saw light. "Yes! Come on, Chaska. You can do this!" he said to himself. After more digging, the wall of snow turned to powder, revealing the tundra just outside. To his left, he could see the mountain and the path they had been swept down. He looked back at the unconscious hunter, then forward. After much thought, he came to another, hard decision, and left the hunter.

* * *

When Tobias opened his eyes he found himself shroud in freezing snow and darkness. "Damn avalanche." he groaned as he began to dig up, or rather the direction he believed to be up. As the snow broke he found himself falling head first onto a small pile of more snow. He picked himself up and found that he just dug his way out of a tree covered by the avalanche.

Dismissing the absurdity of it he turned to his left after hearing a low groaning sound. "Who's there?!" he called. Listening for a response that he didn't get moved in the direction of the smile. After a few seconds of walking he found a small hole in the ice with paw prints leading out of it. 'One of those dogs must've gotten buried too. Probly dug his way out.' he thought as he heard the groan again. Getting down on hands and knees he crawled into the hole to find Adrian, a hunter in his search party, bleeding out on his side. "Dammit Adrian!" he shouted as he rushed to his side.

Adrian was unconscious but still breathing, if barely. 'I gotta stop the bleeding. Think. THINK DAMMIT!' he thought. After looking around he found a torn piece of another hunter's coat. 'I hope whoever owned this got out safely.' He slowly began to remove the stick lodged into his friend's side, causing him to groan louder in a muffled scream. "Calm down bud. I'm patchin' you up." Tobias said to calm Adrian as he began to tightly tie the piece of fabric around the wound.

After a few second that felt like hours Adrian stopped bleeding. "Great. Now to get you outta hear and back to town." Tobias said lifting Adrian up and slinging an arm around his shoulder. He moved slow enough to not agitate Adrian's condition and fast enough to try to get out so he can save the hunter. He moved to the hole in the ice and started kicking it to make it large enough to walk out.

Tobias pulled them both outside and looked around to see more snow and any path they could use covered by said snow. "Now how're we gonna find the way back." he asked himself, losing hope. Almost on cue he heard a bark come from behind. He turned to see a brown wolf staring up at him. Fearing that the wolf was about to attack he reached for a pistol he kept on his side, only to find it missing. "Damn." he swore to himself. The wolf barked again and turned to get him to follow.

"C'mon! This way!" Chaska shouted even though the humans didn't understand him. "You want me to follow you? Wait, I recognize you. You're that wolf from town! Guess you're my way back." he said as he walked up to Chaska with Adrian in tow. "Lead the way boy." he said as Chaska started leading him away from the aftermath of the avalanche.

* * *

Brutus shook the snow from his fur after climbing out. "Wonder where that came from." he said to himself as he inspected the area. The cave entrance was buried and there were pieces of wood from broken trees scattered about the snow. He sniffed around to see if he could catch the scent of anyone he knew caught in the avalanche. He caugh the scents of two canines.

The first was Koza's accompanied by a set of paw prints leading away from him. 'They're steady so I doubt he's hurt.' Brutus thought to himself. The second scent he caught was more familiar, Cronus. The scent was accompanied by a set of paw prints as well, 'You're not getting away that easy.' he thought as he began to follow them.

A few minutes later he'd noticed a change in the prints. Cronus's prints deviated from there original path and seemed to follow a human that seemed to be dragging something, and another canine. Brutus sniffed the prints and realized he was tracking Chaska. "Oh no. I won't let you!" he shouted as he sped off in the direction of the prints.


	20. Retribution

In the town of Nome, everyone was out, watching the horizon. They waited for a glimpse of the last of the hunters, but it was getting dark. Some started to go back, while others still held onto the hope that they would be alive. One of the people sat down, with another man trying to get him to move.

"Come on, Jacob. He's gone. Adrian is gone." But he refused to move. He continued to watch the outskirts of the city. But after some time, he started to stand up.

"Fine" he said, and began moving. however, when he was distanced from the crowd, someone said something that got his attention.

"Look! Up there!" a boy called out, pointing towards a hill at the edge of town. Everyone followed the boy's gaze to see something moving on the hilltop. As it came into view, the hunters readied their rifles.

"Wolf! Take aim!" The hunters took aim at the figure atop the hill. "Steady..steady..and-"The leader uttered a short cry as another figure came into view. "What the-"

"Don't shoot!" the other figure yelled out. All the hunters let out a surprised cry as the other figure spoke. Everyone's eyes narrowed to see who stood on top. Only then did they realize that it was not one, but two people, with one of them leaning on the other's shoulder.

"Is that-"

"Tobias! Quickly!" The hunters charged up the hill, and as they came closer, they saw the other was Adrian.

"Don't shoot the wolf-dog!" Tobias ordered. "He led us here. He saved us." The man called Jacob charged up the hill and embraced his son.

"Adrian! I'm glad you're safe." Jacob looked down at the exhausted wolf-dog and knelt down beside him. "And thank you for saving him." He softly pat Chaska on the head in thanks. "Let's get this hero some food and water, and a nice place to rest as well. After all, I think he deserves it." The mayor approached them, smiling at Chaska.

"Well then, looks like we were wrong to think they were a danger" he said. "Do you have something to say, Tobias?"

"Yes. I thought wrong. But what of the others? They could still be dangerous." He heard a low growl from Chaska. When he looked at him, he shook his head.

"Well then. If he says otherwise, then I suggest not. And you might have your proof." They all turned to see Balto, Agro and Rei walking towards them. "Steady. I won't have any of you shooting them."

"Don't worry. I'm sure we are all past that" Tobias assured. Chaska, with a welcoming smile, ran out to meet them.

"Hey guys. Glad to see you are all okay" he said.

"You too, Chas" Rei said. He looked past Chaska at the humans and cowered behind Agro. "Ah! Humans!" Chaska let out a little chuckle.

"Don't worry. They won't hurt us. I...managed to 'convince' them." Rei was unsure at first, but then came out from behind his bigger brother.

"Are..are you sure?" Chaska confidently nodded. "Okay." The humans slowly approached, still being cautious around them.

"Hey, guys! Look who it is! It's Balto!" Everyone crowded around them, patting and praising them. However, no one saw the black husky charging at them.

"There you are!" Cronus shouted as he charged down at the Chaska. Chaska turned to see the black blur race down and tackle him to the ground. Now baring his fangs Cronus stood over Chaska and plunged his jaws down to clamp onto his throat. Chaska closed his eyes and awaited his fate, however the weight of the dog on his chest was lifted. He opened his eyes to see Cronus being blocked by a German Shepard.

"What the hell are you doing Jace?! I was about to kill that wolf!" he yelled at his subordinate.

"No way. You've gone far enough." Jace said defiantly. This outraged Cronus more. He was being denied his kill and that only enraged him more.

"Why would you protect that mutt?! You know what they did. What they did to Sapphire and that sled team those years ago. The same team your father was on!"

Jace only stared at his former friend with disappointed eyes, "That was a long time ago" he said turning to look at Chaska, "And he's way too young to have been involved. Those were other wolves. If you wanna take your anger out on anyone go to the ones responsible, not someone that's the same species as them." Cronus scoffed at this.

"Outta my way" he said as he walked around Chaska only to be blocked by another dog. He tried to walk around the other dog only to be blocked by several others. "What is this?! You guys wolf-lovers all of a sudden? What about what they did to Riley and Mr. Keller?!" A voice came from behind.

"You mean what you did?!" Cronus turned to see Brutus standing a few feet behind him.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about. It was some dirty wolves that did it. Riley even said so." Cronus said. Brutus walked closer,

"Then why was it that your scent was all over both of them?" Cronus only growled at him, "When I found Mr. Kelley's body your scent was all over his clothes, and when we spoke to Riley after he was attacked by a 'wolf' his wounds smelled just like you." he stated as he walked closer to Cronus, their noses almost touching. "Even now your breath smells like blood."

Cronus chuckled, "It's wolf blood." he dismissed.

"But we hadn't seen a single wolf before we found that cave." Jace chimed I'm from behind. The other dogs started growling at Cronus. Seeing him for the liar and murderer he is.

"Dad?" called a voice from behind. Cronus turned to see his son staring at him with crestfallen eyes.

"Shadow..."

"How could you?" Cronus could see the disbelief and sadness in his eyes.

"I did what I had to! They are a menace, and must be dealt with!" He turned back to Brutus, ready to strike. But Shadow stood in his way.

"Dad, don't. Jace is right. It isn't their fault mom is dead." At that moment, something snapped in Cronos. Even his own son had turned on him. What happened next, no one saw coming. Cronos lunged at his son and stood over him, snarling.

"Cronos! Get off of him!" his owner commanded. He grabbed him by his collar, only for Cronos to turn on him. He cried in agony as his teeth dug into his shoulder. "Cronos! Stop!" But it was too late. Cronos had already gone too far. Everyone thought it would end badly. And it did. Cronos suddenly felt something hit his rear thigh. He felt exhausted and fell to the side. His owner was in shock, staring down at him. One of the hunters walked over, holding a rifle.

"Don't worry. I only darted him. But he has gone too far. You know what must be done." Cronos's owner nodded.

"I'll send him away in the morning."

"Good. We'll keep him locked up for now." Two men carried Cronos away, and the hunter had Cronos's owner lean on him. Chaska walked over to Shadow.

"Never thought I'd say this...but thank you." Shadow smiled, but it quickly changed when his head hung low, eyes full of guilt.

"I am so, so sorry. I..I trusted him. But he led me astray." He turned to Agro next. "And to you, I apologize for ever taking Kara. She missed you, if you should know. I hope you can forgive me." Agro took his time, staring at his nemesis, then smiled.

"I don't know. It'll take time, but I guess I could try." Agro started making his way back into town before his little brother stopped him.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"To see Kara. Don't want to keep her waiting."

"I'd better go see Kel. She's probably missed me" Chaska said.

"And Jenna should be home too. Though I should probably get the kids."

"Take your time." Balto ran back out with Brutus accompanying. "Well. looks like everything is back to normal now. Now, let's go see Kel" Chaska said to himself before going into town.

* * *

**And that is the end. We felt that we needed to add some thins in the end, but we just couldn't find out what. Hope you enjoyed this story :)**


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